Knocked off by a Policeman

[Cycleops]

What disgusting behaviour from a policeman:

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/l...sacked-knocking-cyclist-off-bike-baton-380826

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Why am I not reading about the outcome of a criminal prosecution for assault here?

 

[MontyVeda]

maybe the force felt that being sacked on the spot was enough. Not all assaults result in charges.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Similar occurred in Australia, in the city of Sydney, but no suspension/sacking for the police officer, because cyclists are treated like cr#p here.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/cop-accused-of-pushing-sydney-rider-off-bike
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...ydneys-cbd-witnesses-say-20160113-gm5d3m.html

 

[alicat]

TBH, I am surprised it got as far as it did. In 2011 a policewoman opened her car door on me. I swerved and managed to avoid hitting the door. I stopped and pointed out the potential consequences of her actions and learnt that it was my fault for cycling in her blind spot.

 

[steveindenmark]

Not a good time for Thames Valley police and bikes then

http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/l...it-work-found-cycling-holiday-mallorca-377840

 

[glasgowcyclist]

maybe the force felt that being sacked on the spot was enough. Not all assaults result in charges.

Constables occupy a special and privileged position within our society; they are responsible for our protection and the maintenance of law and order.
Holding that office and assaulting someone by beating him to the ground with a baton, then lying about it, is a serious abuse of that position, undermines public confidence in the police, and is an aggravation of the crime.

I'd like to know the official line from the CPS for not prosecuting him.

 

[MontyVeda]

Constables occupy a special and privileged position within our society; they are responsible for our protection and the maintenance of law and order.
Holding that office and assaulting someone by beating him to the ground with a baton, then lying about it, is a serious abuse of that position, undermines public confidence in the police, and is an aggravation of the crime.

I'd like to know the official line from the CPS for not prosecuting him.

Exactly... not sure if it's an urban myth but, don't postmen go directly to jail of they steal the post? If so, the same 'zero tolerance' should be metered out to all public service employees who abuse their position... yet it appears in this case, the police force think otherwise.

 

[Pale Rider]

There may have been a prosecution which went unreported.

Assuming there was not, the injured party may have been told the copper would face a disciplinary hearing, the consequences of which could be far greater than what could only be a fine for common assault.

The injured party may also have been reassured that most police disciplinary hearings are now held in public, as this one was.

Given the copper has been sacked, and assuming the injured party is content with the outcome thus far, the CPS may have taken the decision a prosecution may not be in the public interest.

We also don't know the state of the evidence, misconduct may have been proved to an acceptable standard, but assault may not have been proved to the criminal standard.

 

[Drago]

What a nodder, the sack well and truly deserved.

I can only speculate about prosecution - There might be no witnesses, making it once persons word against another. The victim might have a nice criminal record, which undermines his credibility as a witness. Who knows? There will be a reason, but one can only guess.

 

[alicat]

I would be really interested to know how the victim managed to persuade Thames Valley Police to take disciplinary action against the officer.

 

[Drago]

It looks as if the officer has fibbed to protect himself, and has been caught out. That's a no-no, undermines honesty and integrity, and was quite likely the greater contributor to his sacking that the excessive force. If he'd put his hands in the air, coughed it and prostrated himself in apology he just might have kept his job, but one a copper is caught fibbing that's it, adios amigo, unless your NPCC Freemasonry level of rank.

It is possible (but again, just speculation) that the officer was already on the radar of the local professional standards department, so its possible they may have been on a hair trigger, just waiting to have him for something. Might not have taken much persuading at all.

 

[Slick]

Nobbers in every position and every walk of life. The police are not immune from that fact.

 

[steveindenmark]

Its all speculation. To which we will never know the answers.