In response to accusations of assault, including biting a colleague (whose name has been suppressed) at a birthday celebration in Bexleyheath, Kent, Nigerian-British officer Shola Balogun was fired by the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service from Bromley Police Station.
Senior officer Christopher McKay presided over a hearing that took place from October 21–23, 2024, and included panelists IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead.
According to hearing documents, Balogun, a Police Constable, joined roughly 70 other guests at Goals Sports Bar to celebrate another officer’s 40th birthday.
Other than the celebrant, there were only two officers present: Balogun and the victim.
According to reports, the incident happened on April 22, 2022, after Balogun and the victim had previously interacted amicably and without any serious arguments.
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The complaint states that approximately 70 people attended a police officer’s 40th birthday celebration at Goals Sports Bar in Bexleyheath, Kent, on April 22, 2022. Members of her Bromley Police Station-based work team, ERT C, were among those present. Two police officers who attended the celebration were PC Shola Balogun and PC (name withheld). Since they had been stationed at Bromley Police Station together since June 2018, the cops were well acquainted as coworkers.
They had previously engaged in lighthearted horseplay but had never had a serious falling out. Both speak of a cordial and productive working relationship. The victim claimed that after meeting other officers at a nearby pub, he arrived at the party at approximately nine o’clock in the evening. The victim acknowledged that he had been consuming alcohol prior to PC Balogun’s arrival. Regarding the events that transpired between them that night, there is disagreement.
According to the victim, he discovered PC Balogun in front of him at approximately 23.30 after climbing a set of stairs from the dance floor. When PC Balogun leaned out and removed the victim’s glasses off his face and placed them on the ground, he was around an arms’ length away.
The victim was taken aback by this and allegedly went up to PC Balogun in a pleasant manner. In response, PC Balogun pushed him in the throat area with his right hand.
“PC Balogun is accused of leaning forward and biting the victim on the right side of his face after the victim complained about his behavior during a conversation when they were only a foot apart due to the loudness of the music.”
However, Balogun refuted the claims of a shove or bite, claiming he just unintentionally knocked off the glasses. Medical documents, however, attested to the bite’s existence.
According to the official conclusions, PC Balogun allegedly damaged the reputation of the police force and eroded public confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) by acting in the manner specified in the Regulation 30 Notice. It is claimed that this violated the Discreditable Conduct criterion.
According to the College of Policing Code of Ethics, “discreditable conduct” is defined as acting in a way that discredits the police force or erodes public trust in law enforcement, whether while on or off duty. This is further clarified as a need that police officers always remember that the public expects police officers to behave in the most respectable manner.
“Whether on or off duty, police officers are always encouraged to consider how the public could perceive their actions. The Panel is convinced that by biting the victim, PC Balogun violated this rule. It is obviously inappropriate and discreditable behavior to assault a fellow officer.
The panel took into account Balogun’s previous disciplinary history as a mitigating factor, even though testimony from coworkers, including his nearly five-year line manager, spoke favorably of his character.
The panel referenced Lord Justice Maurice Kay’s remarks in Salter v. Chief Constable of Dorset in their ruling, stating that public trust is still crucial even though officers may use a positive record as a mitigating factor.
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Given the seriousness of the conduct, the panel determined that Balogun’s acts justified an immediate dismissal.
“PC Balogun’s record is not spotless in this instance, and the misbehavior that has been proven against him in the past is severe. In the current instance, he intentionally attacked a coworker without cause or explanation. He made PC look bad. In this instance, a final written warning is inappropriate. The memo also stated that dismissal without notice is the only reasonable and proper course of action in this situation.
