Met officer who beat Black pensioner may face charges

A Metropolitan Police officer who beat an elderly Black man may face criminal charges over the incident, The Independent can reveal.

- NADINE WHITE

Errol Dixon, 72, who has mild dementia and lives with cancer, was stopped in his car by police officers in Bromley, southeast London, on 13 September 2021. During the incident, Met Police officer PC Read struck Mr Dixon, and the pensioner says he suffered a broken nose, a fractured cheekbone and eye socket, and a displaced septum, which led to his hospitalisation.

Now, following a High Court challenge brought by Mr Dixon, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) plans to refer a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) by the end of July so that it can consider pressing assault charges against the police officer.

An IOPC spokesperson said: "At the conclusion of our investigation in September 2022, we decided not to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision. Errol Dixon's family requested a review of this decision under our victims' right to review process in February 2023.

"A new decision maker was appointed and, in July 2024, we decided to refer a file of evidence to the CPS to consider a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. It will be for the CPS to decide if the officer should be charged. The parties involved have been notified of this development."