Sacked Met PC faced ‘I can’t breathe’ claim
A MET Police officer sacked for mocking black colleagues had also been accused of wrapping tape around one of their necks and saying “I can’t breathe” shortly after George Floyd’s death, it has emerged.
The force announced last month it sacked PC Toby Caswell in connection with a string of “discriminatory and disrespectful” actions.
It was the first alleged racism misconduct case after publication of the Baroness Casey report that branded the Met institutionally racist. A panel heard that PC Caswell used language and acted in a manner that belittled, mocked and humiliated officers. Between 2019 and 2021 he was alleged to have picked on black officers for inappropriate pranks.
In a now-published report it was also alleged he “took hold of PC Omar Spencer’s neck and/or wrapped police cordon tape around his neck and made the comment ‘I can’t breathe’”.
It added: “PC Spencer is a black officer. The incident occurred around the time of the highly publicised George Floyd incident.”
Mr Floyd, 46, died in Minneapolis in May 2020 after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck while he pleaded he could not breathe.
But in its report, the panel said of the alleged incident involving PC Spencer, which PC Caswell vehemently denied: “While not determining any
officer was lying in the evidence they gave, the panel found the allegation unproven.”
Multiple officers had reported PC Caswell’s behaviour at Islington Police Station which had a “canteen culture” of pranks.
The panel found him guilty of telling a South African officer to “go back to his own country”; spraying disinfectant on the private area of another officer’s trousers; asking a colleague to collect a sample of faeces during a welfare check and mocking another who reacted badly at a sudden death scene.
He was also found guilty of targeting PC Spencer by encouraging another officer to park so he was trapped in a shower; repeatedly calling his phone in briefings and opening the doors of vehicles he was using.
Chief Superintendent Andy Carter said: “PC Caswell’s behaviour towards his three fellow officers was appalling and he has quite rightly been dismissed.
“I am very sorry that his colleagues had to endure this behaviour.”
‘Quite rightly dismissed’