Met officer who crashed into three cars responding to terrorist incident cleared of dangerous driving charge

A Met officer who was charged with dangerous driving after crashing into cars and a garden wall while responding to a terrorist incident has been found not guilty, four years after the attack.

PC Paul Fisher was deployed in response to an urgent call for assistance after two members of the public were stabbed in a terror attack in Streatham High Road on February 2, 2020.

Sudesh Amman, aged 20, was shot dead by police after stabbing a man and a woman with a stolen knife.

The Met said PC Fisher and a second police car heard over the radio that lives were in danger, members of the public were seriously injured, and shots had been fired.

PC Fisher was travelling at more than four times the speed limit as the lead in a two-car armed convoy response to get to the scene. On the way, he collided with three cars and a garden wall, resulting in injuries to two other drivers.

After a six-day trial at Southwark Crown Court, the jury today returned a not guilty verdict.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “If an officer makes honest mistakes under the most immense pressure while rushing to a live terrorist incident it cannot be right this is dealt with by a criminal trial nearly four years later. That’s why the treatment of this brave officer by the systems of accountability is appalling.

“The driving errors made by PC Fisher were made under the most intense pressure while trying to protect members of the public from a terrorist. The right answer would have been a rapid review of this incident, warnings, re-training and testing. Instead, there have been almost four years of stress.

“I routinely hear from officers who avoid pursuits or indeed even being trained because they know their split-second, pressured decisions will be unpicked over many years. This case further undermines the confidence of all officers using their powers to keep the public safe.”

A spokesman for the Met said: “An IOPC investigation began in February 2020 into PC Fisher and another armed PC driving the second car in the convoy – which continued to respond to the incident following the collision.

“The IOPC submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service in May 2021. They agreed to charge PC Fisher with dangerous driving and he appeared in court for his first appearance in August 2022.

“The CPS decided no further action should be taken against the other PC.

“Both officers were been removed from driving duties pending the outcome of the criminal case.”

Independent Office for Police Conduct regional director Mel Palmer said: “There is no doubt that PC Fisher was responding to a life-threatening incident in February 2020. A jury, having considered all of the evidence, has acquitted him of dangerous driving and we respect that decision.”

Pictured top: Police activity at the scene following the terror attack in Streatham High Road in February 2020 (Picture: PA)