The riot squad officer who was captured on video pushing Ian Tomlinson to the ground during the G20 protests shortly before the newspaper seller died will face proceedings for gross misconduct, Scotland Yard said today.
The officer shoved Mr Tomlinson (47), in the back, causing him to fall after he had become caught up on the fringes of violent demonstrations outside the Bank of England in April last year.
Last week, the Crown Prosecution Service said no charges would be brought over Mr Tomlinson's death but Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said the officer would face internal action following a report by the independent police watchdog.
"I can inform this committee that the officer has this morning been notified that the decision has been taken to bring disciplinary proceedings against him for gross misconduct," Mr Stephenson told parliament's Home Affairs Committee.
"It's right and proper that we do move swiftly with those misconduct proceedings. It's also right that there is full public exposure of the facts at the inquest and this will now be a matter for the coroner."
If found guilty of gross misconduct, the officer faces losing his job.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said Mr Tomlinson had been on his way home and had not been taking part in the protests when the incident occurred.
He had been walking slowly with his hands in his pockets away from a line of riot squad officers when one moved forward, hit him on the leg with a baton and then pushed him forcefully in the back.
Mr Tomlinson collapsed shortly afterwards and died. Starmer said no charges could be brought for manslaughter because of conflicting medical evidence.
An initial post-mortem recorded that Mr Tomlinson had died from a heart attack, but two further checks showed the cause of death to be internal bleeding.
Even though Mr Starmer said there was sufficient evidence to show that Harwood's actions had constituted an assault, no charges for that could be brought because there was a six-month time limit.
Mr Tomlinson's family said the decision was a disgrace.
"I do fully understand the Tomlinson family and public sense of anger having seen the video of the incident prior to the death of Ian Tomlinson, and I understand the level of their outrage that this did not lead to a criminal prosecution," Mr Stephenson said.
"I can sense, I can feel it. I've got real sympathy when a family finds itself in that position."
Hundreds of complaints were made about excessive violence by some officers during the G20 demonstrations on April 1st and 2nd and the police tactics have been widely condemned in reports by politicians, the IPCC and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
Reuters