Indefinite Detention Confirmed for Man Who Blinded Police Officer

An individual responsible for shooting and blinding a police officer has received notification that he will be held indefinitely within a secure mental health facility. Matthew Tearle, a resident of Rugeley diagnosed with schizophrenia and Asperger’s syndrome, discharged a rubber projectile from a paintball gun through his front door in October 2014, striking Sgt Jon King’s eye. Tearle participated in proceedings at Stafford Crown Court on Thursday via video link, where he was informed that an indefinite hospital order would be extended. A jury previously determined that he was in possession of a prohibited firearm and had inflicted grievous bodily harm with intent. Mr. King, who subsequently retired from Staffordshire Police following the loss of his eye, engaged in a five-hour conversation with Tearle in October 2014. The event transpired after Tearle’s brother, Kieran Majevadia, sought assistance because Tearle refused him entry into his flat located in Wat Tyler Close. Law enforcement officials, alongside Tearle’s brother and mother, attempted to convince him to exit the premises, but the decision was made to force entry through the door. As a breach was created in the door, Tearle discharged the weapon through it, striking Mr. King’s right eye and causing bleeding. A subsequent shot narrowly missed his left eye, and an additional rubber projectile grazed the hair of another officer, as presented to the jury during his 2016 trial. Staffordshire Police characterized the situation at the time as a “tragic case” and reported that Mr. King expressed satisfaction with the initial trial’s outcome, understanding that Tearle would receive the necessary treatment.