Causing Someone To Drop Dead Really No Worse Than Telling Them To, Says Met Chief

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Kim Jong-Stephenson has told the Home Affairs Committee that PC Simon Hardnutt – the officer who knocked innocent passer-by Iain Tomlinson to the ground near the G20 protests – is to face disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct.

“It is not acceptable for police officers to abuse their authority by telling law-abiding members of the public to drop dead, whether they do it in so many words or by less verbal but more hands-on means, as PC Hardnutt appears to have done,” he told MPs. “Rest assured, his fellow officers will examine every aspect of this unfortunately filmed incident before deciding that he acted entirely within the letter of the law and certainly doesn’t deserve to have a reprimand blackening his personnel file.”

As he was leaving the committee room, the commissioner suddenly pounced on chairman Keith Vaz, landing several punches on the Labour veteran’s face and kicking him repeatedly in the groin before other committee members dragged him away.

“Mind how you go now, sir,” he told the bleeding MP as he straightened his tie.