Two Gloucestershire Police officers given final written warnings after misconduct hearing
PC Tyler Harris and PC Stuart Baker were responsible for supervising a woman who had been detained under the Mental Health Act
Two Gloucestershire Police officers have received final written warnings following a gross misconduct hearing into their treatment of a young woman who had been detained under the Mental Health Act.
PC Tyler Harris and PC Stuart Baker were responsible for supervising the woman at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in May 2024 while she was experiencing a mental health crisis.
During a four-day hearing at Police Headquarters last week, a panel examined the officers' actions during the incident.
The panel accepted that it was necessary to use proportionate levels of force to control and protect the detained woman on multiple occasions, but found that PC Baker pushed the woman to the ground unnecessarily while she was handcuffed.
They also found he showed no empathy towards the woman when she hit her head on a chair as she fell and failed to offer or call for medical assistance.
PC Harris was found to have used offensive language towards the woman on one occasion.
On another, he kicked her after she had kicked and attempted to punch him.
PC Harris said this was in self-defence and although the panel found he genuinely believed he was in danger, they concluded the level of force he used was neither necessary or proportionate.
The panel determined both officers had breached the College of Policing’s Standards of Professional Behaviour, including Authority, Respect and Courtesy; Use of Force; and Discreditable Conduct. Individually and collectively, these amounted to gross misconduct.
When concluding its findings the panel took into account the otherwise professional behaviour the officers demonstrated throughout the majority of the incident, as evidenced by body-worn video and CCTV.
Deputy Chief Constable Katy Barrow-Grint addressed the findings, saying: “Every single day we ask our police officers to protect and serve society and in doing so we are explicitly clear of the high standards both policing and the public expect and deserve.
“While there is no doubt this was a challenging incident; there is equally no doubt that at times, the officers failed to appropriately protect and care for a member of our community who happened to find herself vulnerable and needed our help.
“The standards of professional behaviour are absolute and all police officers are expected to uphold those standards at all times.”
PC Harris has received a final written warning that will stay on his record for four years, and PC Baker's warning will last for two years.