Shillong, September 12: A Met Police officer of Indian origin, Police Constable Mandeep Dharni, has been terminated from her position due to gross misconduct following the use of “unreasonable force” during an arrest in north London.
As per IANS, Dharni, part of the Met’s North West Command Unit, faced a misconduct hearing last week regarding an incident where she employed excessive force during an arrest in a Barnet car park earlier in the month, as disclosed by the police on Monday.
The allegation against Dharni was that she failed to apply appropriate force and did not conduct herself with the required authority, respect, and courtesy while restraining an individual. Subsequently, the restrained individual faced charges related to criminal damage and public order offenses.
Chief Superintendent Dan Knowles, responsible for policing in North West London, emphasized that all officers are held accountable for their use of force while on duty. He noted that in this instance, PC Dharni exceeded what was deemed acceptable or reasonable in the situation, particularly given the presence of other officers assisting in the suspect’s detention.
The incident was captured on video and circulated on social media, leading to Dharni being placed on restricted duties. The case was initially referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which subsequently referred it back to the Met’s professional standards team for investigation.
Following a comprehensive review of the evidence, the misconduct panel determined that breaches of professional behavior standards in terms of authority, respect, and courtesy, use of force, and discreditable conduct had occurred at the level of gross misconduct. Consequently, Dharni was dismissed from her position without notice.