A Metropolitan Police officer has been given a final written warning after an incident at Bromley Police Station where he punched a man and assaulted a woman.
PC Maxwell Thompson had to be restrained by colleagues incident after a “red mist descended on him”, a police misconduct panel was told on May 25.
On August 22, 2020, a man and a woman were in the station with the woman believed to be a victim of a domestic incident.
PC Thompson tried to prevent the man from leaving the police station to have a cigarette, even though he had no legal right to do this as the man was not under arrest.
The panel heard that the man moved towards PC Thompson, who responded by pushing him, before the man “squared up” to him in a threatening manner.
PC Thompson then punched him. The misconduct panel found that this use of force was justified.
The misconduct panel stated: “PC Thompson had the right to defend himself particularly when he was confronting a younger, fitter man, in drink, making threats.
“The force used we found was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances, particularly as the initial push by PC Thompson failed to dissuade the man from further aggression.”
After the man had been restrained by other officers, PC Thompson moved towards the woman who was herself being restrained by three officers.
He grabbed her by the chin forcing her upwards, the panel heard.
PC Thompson claims he thought the woman was going to spit at him, but the panel said there was no evidence of this and that other officers had her safely restrained.
One officer was heard to tell PC Thompson “Max leave it” and “it’s not worth it”, while another officer repeatedly told him to “calm down”.
The panel said: “We found that following the fight with the man and the assault by the woman upon him, PC Thompson had lost his temper and self control – a ‘red mist’ had descended as asserted by the AA – and it is whilst in this frame of mind that he assaults the woman.”
PC Thompson was then restrained by at least six officers as he struggled to get loose.
In mitigation, the panel found that the man and woman did provoke him, causing him to act out of character.
He was given a final written warning for two years.
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