Police officer sacked for punching a man at “freshers” club night

A police officer has been sacked for punching a man in the face at a “freshers” club night.

According to BBC News, an off-duty officer, PC Brett Spruce, assaulted the man at Leeds' O2 Academy in the early hours of September 22, 2023.

BBC News reported that the officer, who worked for West Yorkshire Police, was off duty when he punched the man, and that he reported his actions the day after the altercation, but provided a “misleading” account of what occurred to his supervisor.

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According to a Fatsoma page, the event taking place on the night of the episode (September 21), was an “Indie Thursdays Freshers Special”, playing music from the Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz, Two Door Cinema Club and The Wombats.

According to an outcome determination document dated January 3, the victim of the punch “initiated the interaction" but Spruce’s act of delivering a "forceful punch" was "disproportionate”.

The man was put in the recovery position following the attack. Spruce admitted that “he left the scene” with the victim “on the ground."

As per the document, the panel concluded that Spruce “believed he was being challenged about his behaviour” towards the victim’s girlfriend “without justification”, and that the victim was “intoxicated”.

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The panel also heard that Spruce had pushed the man, causing him to drop his drink, before hitting him.

According to a solicitor representing West Yorkshire Police, Spruce wouldn’t provide his details to the O2’s doormen due to the fact that “he did not wish to be identified" because "he knew that he had used unlawful force”.

The former officer's claim of self-defence was rejected by the misconduct panel. He has been dismissed without notice because it concluded that “high standards of conduct and protection of the public” could only be maintained by doing so.

Henrietta Taylor is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter