Sarah Everard: Met officer removed from duties 'for sending offensive message'

  • 3/15/2021
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A Metropolitan police officer guarding search cordons as part of the Sarah Everard murder investigation has been removed from operations after allegedly sending an offensive graphic to colleagues on a WhatsApp group. The Met said that, given the context of the officer’s duties at the time, a referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Everard’s family had been informed. The Met said the “inappropriate graphic” was sent on Thursday and reported by colleagues of the officer. The force declined to give details about the image, described by one source as “unpalatable”, beyond saying it did not depict Everard or anything to do with the investigation into her alleged kidnap and murder. The force said the officer is a probationer, meaning he had started his service recently with Britain’s biggest force and gone through screening supposed to ensure candidates are suitable to carry out the range of sensitive duties officers are expected to. The officer had been part of a phalanx of officers guarding search scenes across Kent, which began last Wednesday as police searched for the 33-year-old. In a statement the Met said: “On Friday, 12 March, the Met’s directorate of professional standards was made aware of an inappropriate graphic that was allegedly shared via social media by a probationary MPS police constable with some colleagues. The sharing of the graphic was reported by a number of these officers who were concerned by its content. “Given the context of the officer’s duties at the time, a voluntary referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to this matter. “The PC had been deployed as a cordon officer supporting the search operation in Kent in relation to the murder of Sarah Everard. The officer has been removed from these duties and placed in a non-public facing role while enquiries continue. “The graphic does not contain photographic images [or] images of Sarah, nor any other material obtained from or related to the investigation into Sarah’s murder.” The IOPC said: “It is alleged they shared an inappropriate graphic with colleagues via social media on Thursday 11 March. Having seen the graphic we can confirm it does not contain photographic images or any other material obtained from or related to the investigation into Ms Everard’s death, or images of her.” Met assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave said: “The MPS expects its officers to behave professionally at all times and this includes how they use social media. “I take allegations that any officer or officers have failed to observe these standards very seriously and have referred this matter to the IOPC.” The IOPC also said it would investigate how the suspect for the kidnap and murder of Everard, serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, came to suffer injuries while in police custody. Couzens was treated for injuries last Wednesday and on Friday, the day he was charged.

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