A Metropolitan Police officer has been found not guilty of unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man who was left paralysed after being Tasered.
PC Imran Mahmood, 36, Tasered Jordan Walker-Brown during a patrol in the early months of the first COVID-19 lockdown on 4 May 2020.
The victim, who was then 23, was left with “catastrophic” injuries after hitting his head on the pavement and breaking his back.
Prosecutors told Southwark Crown Court that Mr Walker-Brown had not taken out a weapon and presented no “physical threat” to anyone when he was Tasered.
On Thursday, the officer was cleared of inflicting grievous bodily harm by a jury after their deliberations on Tuesday.
The court heard how Mr Mahmood believed Mr Walker-Brown was in possession of a weapon and that he could have been dangerous.
The police officer cried in the dock after the verdict, as did others in the courtroom.
But others walked out of the courtroom shaking their heads.
Earlier, jurors were told a verdict on which 10 or 11 of the 12 agreed would be accepted.
They had been deliberating for just over nine-and-a-half hours.