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A protester during a Metropolitan Police disciplinary hearing for police officer Simon Harwood in London. - Source: Reuters
The police officer cleared of killing a newspaper seller following the G20 protests in London three years ago has been sacked for gross misconduct.
PC Simon Harwood, 45, admitted using unnecessary force when he hit Ian Tomlinson with his baton in 2009.
But he denied that his actions contributed to Tomlinson's death and was cleared of manslaughter at a criminal trial in July, although an inquest found the father-of-nine was unlawfully killed.
A Metropolitan police disciplinary panel has now concluded that the officer had discredited the police service and undermined public confidence.
Harwood had breached professional standards through discreditable conduct and use of force, constituting gross misconduct, the panel found.
Tomlinson's family stormed out of the hearing dismissing it as a "whitewash" after the panel said it did not need to consider whether PC Harwood's actions had contributed to the newspaper vendor's death, Britain's The Telegraph reported.
Harwood's lawyer told the hearing that it was unnecessary to put the allegations again as they had been dealt with at the trial.
He said it was an attempt to "manufacture a show trial" by rehearing the evidence already considered.
Harwood struck Tomlinson as the newspaper vendor was making his way home from work.
The father of nine, who was an alcoholic and had slept rough for a number of years, managed to walk 75 yards before he collapsed and later died from internal bleeding.