Body cams didn't record moment officer shot woman in Toxteth
The woman is still recovering from her injuries
The moment a police officer shot a woman as she approached with a knife was not captured on body-worn camera, an investigation has found.
The woman, in her 50s, is still recovering from her injuries after she was shot by a firearms officer in Toxteth, Liverpool, on July 9 last year, a spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
An investigation by the police watchdog found the officer's use of force was "proportionate", but recommended changes in the way Merseyside Police used body-worn cameras.
Officers with body armour and Tasers were sent to the incident on North Hill Street at about 2pm following reports of a woman with a knife acting erratically, the IOPC spokesman said.
Two firearms officers, who were equipped with Tasers but had not been specifically deployed, decided to attend after learning of the incident from radio transmissions.
The spokesman said:
"During the incident, one of the firearms officers drew their Taser.
"The woman came towards the officers with the knife in her hand. The other drew their pistol and fired once at the woman, seriously injuring her."
Due to a force policy in place at the time, a 30-second pre-record feature which would allow body-worn footage to be captured prior to being activated was not enabled due to its impact on battery life, the IOPC said.
The spokesman added:
"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."
Following a recommendation, the force told the IOPC 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.
IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe said:
"This was an extremely distressing incident that left a woman with very serious injuries and we wish her well with her continued recovery.
"We recognise the impact this has had on those involved, as well as the wider community. That is why it was so important for this use of potentially lethal force to be subject to a detailed investigation that was independent of the police.
"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.
"However, we did find opportunities for the force to learn from this incident and we welcome the change to the way body-worn cameras are being used, which will benefit officers and the public alike."
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.
Chief Superintendent Jenn Wilson, head of professional standards at Merseyside Police, said:
"We welcome the findings of the report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct that concluded no police officer involved did anything that constituted a criminal offence or require disciplinary proceedings.
"Our officers put their own lives on the line every day and have to make difficult decisions, often under very stressful circumstances, in order to protect the wider public and keep everyone, including themselves and their colleagues, safe.
"We will always welcome any opportunities to improve our way of working and will take on board the potential areas of learning identified in the IOPC report."