Below is an excerpt from a profile last updated in 2019. The full profile can be found here: https://powerbase.info/index.php/Richard_Walton A updated profile will be available on this page, after evidence realting to this officer is made available by the Inquiry.
Richard William Walton (born June 1965) is a former Head of Counter-Terrorism Command (SO15) within the Metropolitan Police Service. In March 2014, the Ellison Review into corruption and spying around the Stephen Lawrence Murder Inquiry revealed Walton had a meeting with an undercover officer infiltrating campaign groups working closely with the Lawrence family. At that time, Walton was part of the Lawrence Review Team, preparing the Metropolitan Police submissions and responses to the Macpherson Inquiry into the failed murder investigation. The meeting had been set up by Bob Lambert, acting chief of the Special Demonstration Squad, and handler of the undercover identified as "N81".
Ellison was critical of the meeting taking place, calling it 'wrong-headed' and noted that it could have sparked disorder if it had become publicly known. He also criticised Walton for retracting his detailed earlier statement once he knew he would be criticised. As a result of this criticism and public outcry over spying on the Lawrences, Walton was 'temporarily' removed from his post and his conduct was referred to the Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC). He was reinstated on 1 December 2014. However, in May 2015 the IPCC announced the investigation was continuing and being widened.
In January 2016 it emerged that Walton was retiring ahead of any outcome, a move that would allow him to avoid disciplinary hearings following the IPCC probe. This came under criticism from Stephen Lawrence's mother Doreen who called on Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to suspend Walton, saying:
I find it upsetting to think that Commander Walton might be able to retire without being held to account... He shouldn't be allowed to retire just when the IPCC says there's a case to answer.