Met Police officer in court charged with assault

A Met police officer is due to appear in court this week on an assault charge, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).  

PC Rajan Solanki, 28, will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday 10 January charged with assault by beating. 

The charge relates to an incident on 10 June 2024 when PC Solanki was dealing with a man at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone who had been admitted for a mental health assessment the previous night. It is alleged that excessive force was used by the officer to restrain the man when attempting to reapply handcuffs. 

Our investigation began following a mandatory conduct referral from the force in June 2024. In November 2024 we sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge.