11 June 2021

Chairman HH Clement Goldstone QC
International Dispute Resolution Centre, London
Hearings begin 14 June, scheduled to 6 August 2021

Jermaine Baker was fatally shot by a Metropolitan police officer on 11 December 2015. He was unarmed. Now, five and a half years on, the substantive hearings of an independent public inquiry examining the circumstances of his death will begin on Monday (14 June 2021).

The inquiry will be chaired by judge Clement Goldstone QC. The Home Office announced the inquiry in February 2020, and said it was necessary to establish an inquiry so as to permit all relevant evidence to be heard.

The inquiry will examine the strategic and tactical plans of the Metropolitan Police operation ahead of Jermaine’s death, the information available to those who planned the operation, and the implementation of that plan as it occurred on 11 December 2015.

The officer who shot Jermaine has anonymity and is known as W80. The circumstances of his decision to discharge his weapon will be considered. The inquiry will also examine what happened after Jermaine was shot. As well as the practice, policies and procedures for firearms officers, and the training and competency of deployed firearms officers and commanders.

Jermaine’s mother Margaret Smith and partner Tia Demetrio will be giving detailed pen portrait statements on the afternoon of Wednesday 16^th June.

Margaret Smith, Jermaine’s mother said: “The truth is all I that want from this inquiry. I will be there from start to finish listening to the evidence. I want the witnesses who come and stand in front of me to have the integrity, the decency, and the courage to tell me and my family the truth. I want the inquiry itself to be determined and fearless enough to follow the evidence wherever it goes. It is time that my family and the public know the full story of how Jermaine died.”

Anita Sharma, Head of Casework at INQUEST, said: “Police use of force, particularly firearms, must receive the utmost scrutiny to ensure it is used appropriately and proportionately. We hope the opening of this inquiry will mark a step forward for this family, who have waited many years to hear the truth about what happened. It must also serve the public interest in ensuring any ongoing policing issues are identified, to protect lives in future.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, interview requests and to note your interest, please contact Lucy McKay on 020 7263 1111 or [email protected]

INQUEST has been working with the family of Jermaine Baker since his death. The family is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group member Michael Oswald, Amy Ooi, and Joanna Khan of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, Phillippa Kaufmann QC of Matrix Chambers, and Fiona Murphy of Doughty Street Chambers. They are supported by Head of Casework at INQUEST, Anita Sharma.

The other core participants of the inquiry are the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Metropolitan Police Service, National Crime Agency, and the officer who shot Jermaine who is known as W80.

The inquiry will be held at International Dispute Resolution Centre [IDRC], Chronicle House, 2nd floor, 72-78 Fleet Street, London EC4A 1HY. For more information and timetables visit the official inquiry website: jermaine-baker.public-inquiry.uk

Hearings will be livestreamed during the opening week. Thereafter, livestreaming will depend on the government’s easing of Covid restrictions. The YouTube link is: https://youtu.be/Zn9qLeP5pw4

CASE TIMELINE

• 11 December 2015: Jermaine Baker is fatally shot by a Metropolitan police officer in Wood Green.
• 5 October 2016 High Court ruled a senior officer involved in Jermaine Baker’s shooting should be allowed to retire, despite being under Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation for alleged gross misconduct. This followed the family’s judicial review on this. See media release.
• 14 June 2017: Crown Prosecution Service announced their decision not to prosecute the police officer who fatally shot Jermaine.
• 19 March 2018: Crown Prosecution Service confirmed its decision not to prosecute the police officer, following the family’s application for a Victim’s Right to Review. See media release.
• 17 May 2018: Independent Office for Police Misconduct (IOPC, formerly IPCC) directed the Metropolitan Police Service to hold gross misconduct proceedings on the actions of the officer that fatally shot Jermaine Baker. See media release.
• 9 October 2020: After a number of hearings in various courts, a legal case concluded in which W80 challenged the IOPC direction of the Metropolitan Police to bring gross misconduct proceedings against them. The Court of Appeal gave clarification on the legal test to be applied when determining whether police officers’ use of force will amount to misconduct. This decision means that W80 will face proceedings for gross misconduct in future. See media release.
• 17 February 2020: The Home Secretary Priti Patel announced an independent public inquiry, under the Inquiries Act 2005, to investigate the circumstances of the death. See written statement.
• 14 June 2021: The Jermaine Baker Public Inquiry