Serial-killer joke not appreciated at Scotland Yard

Haiti News.Net
Sunday 6th July, 2008

A Scotland Yard sharpshooter has been compensated after he was jokingly called a serial killer by a colleague.

The force thought it best to compensate him financially to keep the matter under wraps.

The event occurred in in 2006 but the disclosure has only just come from the London Metropolitan Police.

Scotlan Yard has revealed the sharpshooter had accepted 5,000 pounds in settlement.

The expensive joke was made by Commander Sue Akers, a highly regarded Met officer, who is in charge of Scotland Yard's fight against gun crime.

Akers' faux pas came at a social function when she introduced herself to the firearms officer with the words: 'I've always wanted to meet the Met's very own serial killer.' The officer is a member of the elite CO19 firearms unit and has shot dead a number of suspects in his career.

Colleagues say he failed to see the funny side of her remarks. Akers was said to have been distraught at his reaction and later made a formal apology.

However, the police officer insisted his feelings had been hurt and filed a formal complaint.

The Met agreed to the payout after it found the legal costs could come to at least 150,000 pounds.

The Met's dedicated firearms unit is a contingent of more than 530 officers who carry out 24-hour patrols in London in armed response vehicles known as Trojans that deal with hostage taking and terrorism.

Have your say on this story