Matt Ratana death was ‘catalyst’ for new search measures across Met Police

Sgt Ratana, 54, died of a chest wound after being hit by two bullets at Croydon’s Windmill Road custody block in the early hours of September 25 2020.

Police officers from the Metropolitan Police during a memorial to remember and celebrate the life of Matt Ratana (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Archive)

The death of Sergeant Matt Ratana acted as a “catalyst” for introducing new search measures in the Metropolitan Police, a deputy assistant commissioner has said.

Louis De Zoysa, 25, was found guilty of killing Sgt Ratana, 54, after shooting him with a hidden revolver, which was not found upon an initial search, while he was handcuffed in a holding room at Croydon’s Windmill Road custody block on September 25 2020.

The Met has issued more than 4,000 handheld metal detectors to frontline officers, all frontline vehicles and all custody suites and piloted the use of full body scanners in custody suites following Sgt Ratana’s death, DAC Stuart Cundy said.

Asked if the force has apologised to Sgt Ratana’s partner Su Bushby and his family, Mr Cundy said the family have always been a central focus of the Met’s investigation and response, adding: “There’s only one person who killed Matt and that is Louis De Zoysa.”

Questioned on whether the officers who arrested De Zoysa, who did not find the revolver upon an initial search, will face any disciplinary action, Mr Cundy said an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation found there are no criminal, conduct or performance issues for the two officers.

He commended their bravery for trying to disarm De Zoysa “without a second thought or care for their own individual safety” as he was firing the revolver in the custody suite.

Describing the impact of the officer’s death on the force, Mr Cundy said the “huge outpouring” of emotion and of people wanting to talk about the personal impact Sgt Ratana had had on them, showed what a “caring” individual he was.

Sgt Ratana is remembered as a great sportsman and rugby coach and his legacy is honoured by the efforts of officers and staff across policing to raise money in his name – particularly for the Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation, which creates opportunities and provides guidance to disadvantaged young people through the sport.

“It is clear he will leave that personal impact,” Mr Cundy went on.

“He was a larger than life character in so many different ways.

“As with all officers and staff who are killed, our memory for Matt will always stay alive.”

He added that the Met “will always be here” for Ms Bushby.

Expanding on new search measures in the Met, Mr Cundy said a “small number” of handheld metal detectors were in use in September 2020, but the force decided to escalate their use more widely, as rapidly as it could “deliberately within a matter of days” of Sgt Ratana’s death.

He added that a full body scanner – similar to those seen at airports – has recently been installed in a custody suite in south London, saying the Met is the first police force in the UK to do so.

Asked how the arresting officers missed the gun upon the initial search in the street, Mr Cundy said they had “significant concerns” upon finding ammunition on De Zoysa’s person, re-cuffed his hands so that they were behind his back and took him to the police station to be searched in greater detail – something which it is understood cannot be done on the street in view of the public.

He insisted it was not a “cursory search”.

“The officers themselves, they were concerned,” he said. “Their evidence is that they did consider that Louis De Zoysa had access to a firearm.

“At that point in time no one knew where it was, whether it was on him, whether it might be at his home address or some other location, which is why when De Zoysa was taken to the police station the first thing to occur was for De Zoysa to be searched.”

De Zoysa was said to be known to the police but lacking a “significant history” and any “major criminal links”.

Speaking about motive, Mr Cundy said: “Only De Zoysa knows why he was carrying a firearm on that night and whether he intended to use it or not.

“Equally, after he had been stopped and searched and arrested and had been taken to the police station to be further searched, only De Zoysa knows why he deliberately produced the firearm from behind his back, deliberately pointed it at Matt and, as was heard at court, then fired that revolver twice directly at Matt and then two other occasions as well.”