A pensioner said to be suffering from dementia was handcuffed, placed in a spit hood and had a Taser pointed at her by cops during a shocking incident.
Six Met Police officers responded to reports of a disturbance between a 90-year-old woman and her carer in a block of flats in Peckham, South London on May 9.
But things took a turn when the elderly woman was restrained with handcuffs and even had a spit hood put on her after it was alleged she spat at one officer.
Another police officer pointed their Taser at her as well, with the red-dot trained on the unwell woman, but didn’t fire.
Whilst not arrested, she was taken to hospital.
In the aftermath of the shocking restraint, one officer was suspended and a further five were placed on restricted duties - meaning they will have no interactions with the public.
The mum-of-three’s family have since been made aware of the incident and the Met referred themselves to The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who are investigating.
The Sun reported that the elderly woman panicked during the interaction with police and threw cups of coffee at them, and spat at one officer.
It was then her hands were handcuffed behind her back, restrained with a spit hood and tied down on a stretcher to be carried away and it was claimed that the woman suffered injuries during the incident, including cuts and bruises to her wrists and one arm.
One neighbour said: “I could hear her crying and screaming. I looked out my window and could see they had her strapped down on a stretcher - it was awful.
“There were two police cars and a van - you would think with all those people they would be able to manage it without tying her down.”
They added that whilst her mental health had deteriorated recently and she had become a bit of a "handful" at times the response was disproportionate.
Reports also said that the woman was Black.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Met Police told The Mirror: “The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) are independently investigating an incident where an elderly woman was restrained by officers in Southwark.
“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) made a voluntary referral to the IOPC as soon as they were made aware of the incident.
“On Tuesday, 9 May officers were called to an address in SE15 following reports of a disturbance between a woman and her carer.
“Officers attended and identified a 91-year-old lady who was distressed. After officers attempted to engage with her, she was restrained using handcuffs and a spit hood applied after it was alleged one officer was spat at. The woman was then taken to hospital.
“She was not arrested. During the course of the incident, an officer issued a red-dot challenge with their Taser but did not discharge it.
“Following an initial assessment by the DPS, one officer has been suspended and their use of Taser withdrawn. A further five officers have been placed on restricted duties, meaning they will have no contact with the public, while the incident is investigated.
“The woman’s family are aware of the incident. Police are in contact with them and arranged for a family member to view body worn video of the incident.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, who is in charge of policing in Southwark, said: “There are limits to what I am able to say in relation to this incident given it is now subject to an IOPC investigation, however it is clear that this will have been a distressing experience for the lady involved and that the circumstances raise a number of questions that need to be answered.
“While I do not wish to pre-judge this process, officers know that they must be able to justify any use of force or restraint and we will expect that of the officers involved in this incident. They also know that we expect them to show compassion and to adjust their approach in real time according to the circumstances they are faced with.
“I am committed to transparency in relation to this incident. I am already in contact with our key partners and will keep them, and those directly involved, informed as our enquiries progress.”
A spokesperson for the IOPC said: “We can confirm we are investigating the force used by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers after they detained a 90-year-old woman in Peckham earlier this month.
"On 9 May, officers attended an address in SE15 following a reported disturbance. We understand a woman was restrained, handcuffed and had a spit hood applied. A Taser was deployed but not discharged and the woman was taken to hospital.
"On 17 May the force made a voluntarily conduct referral to us and we began an independent investigation, which is at an early stage.
"We have also received a public complaint concerning the level of force that was used and the injuries it is alleged the woman sustained, including cuts and bruising on both her wrists and one arm. We have been in touch with the woman's family to explain our role.”
