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Suffolk Police officer keeps job after striking suspect with Taser
Overview
A Suffolk Police officer, PC Samuel Robinson, has been allowed to keep his job after a disciplinary panel gave him a five-year final written warning for using unnecessary and disproportionate force. During a June 2021 incident in Lowestoft, Robinson struck a resisting suspect on the head three times with the butt of his Taser and kicked him. Although previously acquitted of actual bodily harm following a trial at Southwark Crown Court, an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) panel ruled that his actions amounted to gross misconduct.
Key points
- PC Samuel Robinson struck a resisting suspect on the head three times with the butt of his Taser and kicked him during a June 2021 incident in Lowestoft.
- The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the incident and a disciplinary panel ruled that Robinson committed gross misconduct.
- Robinson received a five-year final written warning on his employment file.
- He had previously been charged with actual bodily harm but was acquitted following a trial at Southwark Crown Court in December 2024.
- The panel found that Robinson's use of force was unnecessary, disproportionate, contrary to training, and accompanied by offensive language.