Officer resigns from PSNI after 'spiteful and insulting behaviour' brings vulnerable man to tears
A police officer has resigned after he brought a vulnerable man to tears with “insulting, spiteful and deliberately provocative language".
The incident happened near Armagh city in March 2022 when four probationary police officers responded to a report of concern for the safety of a man, who was known to police as having 'mental health problems, depression and other vulnerabilities'.
Three of the officers reported their colleague for the 'highly inappropriate way' he spoke to the vulnerable man, including comments about the man’s lifestyle and his girlfriend.
As the four officers tried to arrest the man for his own safety a struggle broke out which led to all of them putting him to the ground.
He was subsequently taken to Craigavon Area Hospital for assessment and when the four officers returned to their station, three of them raised concerns to their mentors that the behaviour of the fourth officer had 'brought that man to tears'.
When the sergeant asked the offending officer about his conduct, he said the man had been difficult, had lashed out at police and had made multiple insulting comments.
The sergeant at the time deemed his response to have been "defensive and inadequate".
He did, however, visit the man to apologise, and went back the following day after he advised that the officer should apologise in person and the man accepted his apology.
However, a police inspector then ordered that the officer’s two-year probationary period, which he was about to complete, would be extended by three months. The Police Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, also investigated the officers comments and when interviewed he said that he had lost his temper and felt ashamed for what he described as “a momentary lapse” in professionalism. He maintained, however, that any force used against the man had been proportionate and necessary to stop him hurting himself.
The officer subsequently resigned from the PSNI and Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson stated that she would have recommended disciplinary action if the officer had not left the PSNI.
The ombudsman commended the other three probationary officers in reporting their colleagues behaviour.
"The officers were probationers at the time, and the way they addressed their colleague’s behaviour demonstrated integrity," she said.
"They are to be commended for upholding and supporting the principles and requirements of the PSNI Code of Ethics.".
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