Jermaine Baker shooting: CPS confirms no charges after review

Jermaine Baker was shot in Bracknell Close, near Wood Green Crown Court

A decision not to bring charges against a police officer who fatally shot a man during a botched attempt to free a prisoner has been upheld.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to prosecute the officer for shooting Jermaine Baker, 28, in December 2015.

It said there was no "realistic prospect of conviction for any offences" in relation to his death.

Jermaine's mother Margaret Smith said the decision was "very disappointing".

It comes after the family made an application for a Victims' Right to Review (VRR) of the initial decision not to prosecute in 2017.

Ms Smith said: "My family and I have had a long and painful wait for this decision.

"It is not only very disappointing, but also impossible to square with what we know about the available evidence."

Jermaine Baker was unarmed but an imitation firearm was later found in the car

Ms Smith said the family "remain determined that the police officer who shot Jermaine must answer for his actions".

"To that end we look now to the coroner's inquest to ensure that the shocking circumstances in which Jermaine lost his life are finally brought under public scrutiny," she added.

Mr Baker, from Tottenham, north London, was with two other men in a car near Wood Green Crown Court on 11 December 2015.

They had intended to help spring an inmate from a prison van but firearms officers were deployed to foil the plan and Mr Baker, who was unarmed, was shot.

A CPS spokesperson said Mr Baker's family had been given a "detailed explanation" of the decision, "alongside an offer to meet the prosecutor if they wish".

The VRR scheme allows bereaved relatives or partners in homicide cases to request a review of a decision not to charge.