Met Police and First Aid officials on the scene of a moped collision in Hackney. Pic: @999London
Two police officers are under investigation following the tragic death of a teenager in Hackney.
Lewis Johnson, 18 from Islington, died after his Vespa collided with a van last week in Clapton Common, North Hackney.
Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene, whilst a 19-year-old pillion driver was taken to hospital. He has now been discharged.
The officers being investigated were pursuing the teenager after responding to calls about thefts involving a scooter. Johnson apparently failed to pull over when signalled.
The standard of their driving is being investigated.
An MPS constable has been served with a gross misconduct notice. He was driving the police car that pursued the Vespa that Johnson was driving.
A sergeant who drove a separate car has also been served with a gross misconduct notice. Both have been advised they are under criminal investigation.
Jennifer Izekor, Independent Police Complaints Commissioner, said: “I have met with Lewis’ parents to express my condolences for the tragic loss of their son and to inform them of this development.”
Izekor expressed concerns that the constable and officer involved with the pursuit had committed criminal offences.
She said: “Both officers will now be interviewed under criminal caution as our investigation continues.”
Statistics from the IPCC show that the number of complaints in England and Wales have been steadily rising since 2011, showing a 15 percent increase. Complaints have risen by 62 percent in a decade.
The IPCC said: “The numbers speak for themselves.”
Dame Anne Owers, chair of the IPCC, said: “The figures for England and Wales show a complaints system that is both over-complex and inconsistent, and is clearly failing to satisfy a significant number of complaints.”
Izekor, who is overseeing the investigation, said: “We will carry out a thorough, robust investigation which will examine what happened in the moments leading up to this collision and the actions of the police.”
Tributes have been pouring in over the last ten days for the teenager.
