Lethal Force: My Life As the Met’s Most Controversial Marksman

Tony Long

Jul 2016 · Random House

About this ebook

Tony Long was the best ‘shot’ the Met ever had. Under the codename ‘Echo 7’, he was ‘licenced to kill’ bringing down scores of targets, sometimes with deadly force. In 1985 he opened fire on a suspect to save a four-year-old girl whose mother had been stabbed to death by her assailant. Two years later he was involved in another high profile shooting while confronting three armed criminals. On both occasions Tony was commended by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. But in the spring of 2005, coming face to face with suspected drug dealer and armed robber Azelle Rodney, a volley of point blank shots would bring his career crashing to an end, tarnish his reputation and leave him fighting a murder charge and possible life sentence.

From life or death cases and botched operations to political fallouts, this book charts the controversial career from rookie seventies beat cop to Long's command of SO19 – the Met’s most elite specialist firearms unit. Long’s personal testimony and professional insight raises serious issues about the duties, pressures and responsibilities that fall on the shoulders of those we task to risk their lives, and take the lives of others, in our name.

Ratings and reviews

What a read, if you're interested in policing then buy this. It is a journey through the life of a police officer who has been protecting the public & had to stop some extremely bad people. What I take from this is the support he received from his family, friends & colleagues during the Inquest and subsequent court case; buy the book because it's a really riveting journey through the career of Tony Long. Tony, thanks to you & your colleagues around the UK for protecting us; enjoy retirement!

Absolutely brilliant read, couldn't put it down, fantastic insight into the armed police in the UK, one thing that is telling is how shockingly poor the armed police are treated if they have to shoot a criminal. Great work Tony thanks for your service.

Thoughtful, insightful, a hard to put down read. My thanks to you and your colleagues for keeping the rest of us safe

About the author

In a lengthy career spent as an instructor and operator within the Met’s elite specialist firearms units, Tony Long participated in hundreds of groundbreaking armed operations against the UK’s most hardened criminals, earning him many commendations and forcing him on several occasions to resort to lethal force. Labelled a ‘serial killer’ by Scotland Yard bosses, in 2015, facing a potential murder conviction for the death of an armed drug dealer, he fought to maintain his dignity and clear his name. Tony retired from the force after 33 years and now works as a security consultant.