The mother of a talented young football player who tragically lost his life after being pursued at high speeds by police while riding his moped has expressed her relief over the findings of an inquest jury. The jury determined that there were several shortcomings on the part of the officers involved in the incident.

Lewis Johnson, just 18 years old and a former youth player for Crystal Palace, died in February 2016 when the white Vespa scooter he was riding crashed into a van in east London’s Clapton following a three-minute police chase. Officers were chasing him after receiving reports of mobile phone thefts.

It took nine years for the inquest into Johnson’s death to be held, during which time numerous legal challenges and investigations ensued regarding the tragic event.

Ann Torpey, Johnson’s mother, expressed that she felt a sense of relief after the inquest’s conclusion. “The jury sided with us. Initially, I was in disbelief after advocating for the truth for nearly a decade,” she shared. “As I got on the train after leaving the court, a smile began to grow on my face. It felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders.”

“My Lewis had experienced negative interactions with law enforcement. He would never have pulled over during that pursuit. When I began my quest for justice, I wasn’t well-informed about legal matters, but it was Lewis’s spirit that empowered me each day.”

During the narrative conclusion delivered on Thursday at Bow coroner’s court, the jury found that Johnson’s death resulted from colliding with a traffic light pole near Clapton Common. They noted that his erratic moped riding—exceeding the speed limit, driving on the wrong side of the road, and mounting the pavement—was influenced by the aggressive nature of the police chase, including instances where the police car followed too closely, adding pressure that impaired Johnson’s decision-making.

The jury also identified missed opportunities by the pursuing officer to mitigate risks to both Johnson and the public, particularly by maintaining an unsafe distance from the moped during the chase.

Their findings indicated that the police officer involved in the pursuit lacked the necessary qualification known as initial pursuit certification for engaging with motorbikes. Furthermore, there was a noticeable gap in awareness among the police driver, vehicle operator, and staff in the Metropolitan police control room regarding related pursuit policies and inadequate communication about these guidelines.

Torpey believes her son did not stop when pursued by law enforcement out of fear.

Addressing the allegations surrounding Johnson’s involvement in mobile phone thefts, Torpey remarked that although her son had made “poor choices,” he was not a “bad person” and had become entangled in neighborhood disputes.

“Lewis was everything to me. He had a distinctive presence that drew people in. Hundreds attended his funeral. Our final conversation revolved around pancakes since it was pancake day; I asked him what toppings he wanted. The last words he said to me were, ‘I love you, mumsie.’ I’ll continue to live for my other children, but every night when I lay down, I know that each day brings me closer to being reunited with Lewis.”

Taylor Rose is representing Torpey in the legal proceedings. Consultant solicitor Andre Clovis remarked, “Ms. Torpey has never defended her son’s actions, yet she has faced significant shortcomings from the legal system. It’s disheartening that without her relentless pursuit of justice over nine years, she might not have received the clarity she is entitled to regarding the circumstances of Lewis’s death.”

Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who oversees law enforcement in the area, stated, “Our sincere condolences go out to Lewis’s family and friends for their loss. We acknowledge the inquest outcome and will react to any recommendations from the coroner in due time. We have established guidelines regarding police pursuits and understand the inherent risks they pose. Officers are trained to follow national protocols as dictated by the College of Policing.”

On March 4, 2022, a misconduct hearing determined that two officers involved in the chase had indeed acted improperly. One officer, who was driving the police vehicle, was found to have initiated and continued the pursuit without proper authorization, leading to a recorded misconduct outcome. This officer had mistakenly believed that the pursuit had been approved.

On October 12, 2021, this officer was acquitted at Kingston crown court of charges related to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Misconduct allegations against a retired sergeant were validated concerning a training issue, while claims against another former sergeant were unsubstantiated.

Data from the Independent Office for Police Conduct for the year 2023-24 reveals there were 24 fatalities resulting from police pursuits in England and Wales.

Freedom of information records from the Metropolitan police indicate that the number of police pursuits has nearly doubled from 2,779 in 2019-20 to 4,111 in 2024-25, with approximately a quarter of those pursuits, 1,179, resulting in collisions.