Officer dismissed after misconduct hearing
A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked after a misconduct hearing found he committed gross misconduct over his treatment of a homeless man in central London.
PC Omer Farok was dismissed from the force after the hearing ruled that he used unnecessary force and degrading language towards a vulnerable man he had handcuffed on Parker Street on 15 June 2024.
Officers had been called to the street after reports of a man entering an unattended vehicle. PC Farok handcuffed the man, who had not tried to run away, and then repeatedly pushed him into a brick wall, called him an “idiot” several times and ignored his requests for an explanation.
Footage of the encounter showed PC Farok manipulating the handcuffs to cause the man pain and later using force to bring him to the ground. With his hands restrained, the man was unable to break his fall and landed face-first on the pavement, suffering a cut near his right eyebrow that needed hospital treatment.
Despite the injury, PC Farok continued to shout “stop resisting” while the man lay hurt on the ground and did not appear to be resisting.
What the watchdog said
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the incident and brought the case to the misconduct hearing. Amanda Rowe, the IOPC’s director of engagement, said: “Police officers are entrusted with considerable powers and must exercise them lawfully and with self-control, while also treating members of the public with respect and dignity.”
She added: “PC Farok repeatedly used disrespectful and degrading language towards the man and used force that was not necessary, reasonable or proportionate in the circumstances, resulting in the man hitting his head on the ground and receiving a head injury.”
“Conduct of this nature risks damaging public confidence in policing and falls well below the standards expected of officers,” she said. “The officer has now been held to account following our investigation.”
The hearing found that PC Farok had breached the standards of professional behaviour covering use of force and authority, respect and courtesy. He will be added to the College of Policing barred list.
What the barred list means
The barred list is the national register of officers and staff who have been dismissed for gross misconduct. Once on it, a person cannot be employed by any police force in England and Wales, and the bar applies for life unless it is overturned on appeal.
Gross misconduct is the most serious finding a police misconduct hearing can make. Hearings consider whether an officer’s actions breached the standards of professional behaviour, and dismissal is the outcome where the breach is judged serious enough that the officer should no longer serve.
The IOPC investigates the most serious complaints against the police independently, and its findings can lead to a force holding a misconduct hearing. The watchdog said the case was a reminder that officers must use only force that is necessary, reasonable and proportionate — and that vulnerable people in particular must be treated with dignity.
A wider test of accountability
The dismissal comes as the Met continues to face scrutiny over the conduct of its officers and staff. A Met call handler is due to stand trial at the Old Bailey in August 2027 after denying a series of charges, while the force praised the women whose evidence secured the conviction of Russell Brand earlier this week.
The man injured in the Parker Street incident has not been named in the announcement. No further details of his condition after hospital treatment have been published. The outcome of the hearing was announced on Thursday.
