- Apology and Settlement for Brain-Injured Protester
- Alfie Meadows’ Long Legal Battle
- Unidentified Officer and Ongoing Accountability Issues
The Metropolitan Police has issued an apology and agreed to pay a settlement to a man who suffered a brain injury 13 years ago after being struck in the head with a police baton during a protest.
Alfie Meadows was injured on December 9, 2010, in London during a demonstration against student tuition expenses.
Before being unanimously acquitted in March 2022, he was charged with violent disorder and confronted multiple trials.
The Met stated in a statement released on Friday that Mr. Meadows “protested peacefully.”
It said it apologised in June and settled a civil case over his August 2020 claim. However, the force said the officer who attacked Mr. Meadows has not been identified or “held accountable” for their actions.
The payout may be in the six figures, according to PA news.
Mr. Meadows told Channel 4 News that the situation resembled an endless process. “I felt like I was on trial the entire time, punished for committing the crime of surviving this police assault.”
I’m just so aware of how I’ve been treated and how the police have not been held accountable,” he said, adding that the incident and subsequent trials had a “devastating effect” on his life and mental health.
He stated, “All the years I’ve lost fighting for truth and accountability and facing denial, blame, and attempts to criminalize me.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police stated on Friday that Mr. Meadows sustained “very serious injuries” during the 2010 demonstration, which coincided with a vote in Parliament on the proposed tuition fee increase.
“Although the situation in Parliament Square was chaotic and threatening, we acknowledge that Mr. Meadows was peacefully protesting. And the use of force against him was unjustified,” he said.
Despite multiple investigations between 2010 and 2019, “none were able to identify the officer in question.”
“Despite extensive CCTV and witness inquiries, we lament that the officer who struck Mr. Meadows did not come forward, could not be identified, and has not been held accountable for their actions.
We have offered Mr. Meadows our apologies.
Since 2010, officers have worn body-worn cameras and received more self-defense training to prevent a repeat of the incident.
