Bodycams did not record Liverpool police shooting, watchdog finds

The woman was shot by a firearms officer in Toxteth in July 2020

The moment a woman was shot by police as she approached with a knife was not captured on body-worn cameras, an investigation has found.

The woman, aged in her 50s, was critically injured after being shot in Toxteth, Liverpool, on 9 July 2020.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said officers had activated their body-worn cameras but footage only began after the shooting.

The watchdog recommended changes to how Merseyside Police use the cameras.

Officers with body armour and Tasers were sent to North Hill Street at about 14:00 BST following reports of a woman with a knife who was acting erratically, an IOPC spokesman said.

Two firearms officers, who were equipped with Tasers but had not been specifically deployed, also attended.

'Necessary and proportionate'

The investigation found the woman came towards the officers with the knife and was shot once by one of the firearms officers.

The woman is still recovering from her injuries.

The IOPC said a force policy at the time meant that a 30-second pre-record feature, which would allow footage to be captured prior to the camera being activated, was not enabled due to its impact on battery life.

"It meant that despite the officers activating their body-worn cameras to record when they first approached the woman, the footage only began after the woman had been shot," a spokesman added.

IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe described the incident as "extremely distressing".

Ms Rowe said: "The officers involved put themselves in harm's way to protect members of the public and we found the use of force was necessary and proportionate in the circumstances."

The IOPC said it found the two firearms officers should have informed the force incident manager they were attending the scene, but decided disciplinary action was not necessary.

Ch Supt Jenn Wilson said the force welcomed the report's findings.

Merseyside Police told the IOPC that officers would be using the pre-record feature in future and said it had been working to address concerns about the battery life of the cameras.