Nigerian-British officer Shola Balogun was fired by the UK’s Metropolitan Police Service from Bromley Police Station after he was accused of violence, including biting a coworker (whose name has been suppressed) at a birthday celebration in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Senior Officer Christopher McKay chaired a hearing from October 21–23, 2024, with Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead and IPM Amanda Harvey on the panel.
According to the hearing’s documents, Balogun, a Police Constable, went to Goals Sports Bar with roughly 70 other guests to celebrate another officer’s 40th birthday.
Apart from the celebrant, the only other cops present were Balogun and the victim.
The incident allegedly occurred on April 22, 2022, after Balogun and the victim had previously interacted amicably and without any notable arguments.
About 70 people showed up for a police officer’s 40th birthday celebration at Goals Sports Bar in Bexleyheath, Kent, on April 22, 2022, according to the report. Members of ERT C, her work team headquartered at Bromley Police Station, were among those present. Police officers PC Shola Balogun and PC (name withheld) were among those who attended the celebration. The officers have been working together at Bromley Police Station since June 2018, thus they were familiar with one another.
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They had previously engaged in some lighthearted horseplay, but there had never been any serious arguments. Both portray a positive, cordial working relationship. According to the victim, he met other officers in a nearby pub and then arrived at the party at around nine o’clock. PC Balogun came after the victim, who acknowledged consuming alcohol before to his arrival. They are at odds about the events that transpired between them that night.
At approximately 23.30, the victim claims to have climbed up a set of steps from the dance floor and discovered PC Balogun standing in front of him. About an arm’s length away, PC Balogun reached out, took the victim’s glasses off his face, and threw them on the ground.
According to the victim, this startled him. He then allegedly came up to PC Balogun in a pleasant manner, to which PC Balogun replied by pressing his right palm against the victim’s throat.
According to the allegations, PC Balogun moved forward and bit the victim on the right side of his face after the victim complained about his behavior during a conversation when they were barely a foot apart due to the loudness of the music.
On the other hand, Balogun refuted the claims of a shove or bite, claiming he simply knocked off the glasses by accident. Medical records, however, verified that there had been a bite.
According to the official conclusions, “The Regulation 30 Notice alleges that PC Balogun damaged public confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and brought discredit to the police service by acting in the manner described.” The Discreditable Conduct criterion is said to have been broken in this instance.
The College of Policing Code of Ethics defines discreditable conduct as “not acting in a way that discredits the police service or erodes public trust in policing, whether on or off duty.” The public expects police officers to uphold the greatest standards of behavior, which is further stated as a necessity that officers must ever remember.
Police officers are always told to consider how the public could perceive their actions, whether they are on or off duty. The Panel is convinced that PC Balogun’s bite of the victim violated this criterion. It is obvious that assaulting a fellow officer is improper and untrustworthy behavior.
Even though Balogun’s line manager of almost five years and other coworkers spoke favorably about his character, the panel took his previous disciplinary record into account as a mitigating factor.
Citing Lord Justice Maurice Kay’s remarks from Salter v. Chief Constable of Dorset, the panel concluded that public trust is still crucial even when officers may use a positive record as a mitigating factor.
The panel came to the conclusion that, given the gravity of the offense, Balogun’s acts justified his immediate termination.
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“PC Balogun has a history of misbehavior that has been proven to be serious in this instance, and his past is not spotless. He intentionally attacked a coworker in this instance without providing any reason or rationale. He degraded PC. This situation does not call for a final written warning. Dismissal Without Notice is the only reasonable and proper course of action in this situation,” the paper continued.
