CT police criticised for not wearing body cameras

The lawyer for a woman shot during a recent counter terror raid in Willesden, north-west London, has criticised the officers for not wearing body cameras to record the operation. The events, which took place on Thursday 27 April, saw an elite counter-terrorism unit enter the property and spray CS gas before shooting a woman. A 16-year-old boy, a man and woman, both aged 20, were also arrested as part of the raid. After being treated in hospital for three days, the lady in question was arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. The incident is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Imran Khan, the solicitor for the woman shot during the raid, said: “It is concerning that firearms officers were not wearing body-worn video. Officers should ensure they have a body-worn video for their protection and the public’s, so we know what happened. What explanation is there for not wearing body cameras?” The Metropolitan Police has recently claimed that they desire as many officers as possible to wear body cameras so investigations into contentious operations can be sped up by video recordings of events. However, it is reported that the deployment of the armed officers began as a covert operation and that cameras may have blown their cover.