A man has been jailed after he bit a police officer during his arrest in Gloucester last month.
A video filmed by a member of the public was posted on social media which showed a police officer using force on the man who was detained.
What was not clear from the video, which was posted without sound, is that the man who was under arrest, 39-year-old Luke Goodhall, was biting the officer’s leg at the time.
In the officer’s bodyworn video you can hear him shouting about being bitten and asking the man to stop biting him. The arrested man then laughed and said “no-one’s sin (sic) it you d***head”.
Gloucestershire Police’s Professional Standards Department reviewed the bodyworn video and the use of force by the officer (strikes to the body) has been deemed proportionate, necessary and legitimate.
Police have said they understand videos like this, where there is use of force, can cause concern but often the whole story is not known or captured.
Goodhall had been released from prison recently and was on licence. On that day, 17 February, at around 7.20pm a member of staff in the Force Control Room room saw him on CCTV and they reported that he was running after a person he knew and it is alleged that he assaulted them, which is why he was arrested by the officers on Eastgate Street.
He was further arrested for biting the officer and for trying to knee another officer in the face during a search.
Goodhall from Cheltenham, was charged and at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on 19 February he admitted two offences.
He was sentenced to nine months in prison for assaulting the officer after admitting to assaulting a person occasioning them actual bodily harm.
Goodhall also pleaded guilty to common assault of an emergency worker, the second police officer, and was sentenced to six months, to run concurrently. He was also charged with one count of assault by beating another person and is due in court on 25 March in relation to this allegation.
Due to Goodhall committing the offences while he was on licence, he will serve the remainder of his previous prison sentence followed by the nine month term handed out last month.
The officer filmed, who has been in the police service for 11 years, said: “I strongly believe in informed decision making and healthy discussions. Being open, honest and acting with integrity is key to bridging the gap between police and the public.
“I am now relieved that the full incident is being disclosed to promote that healthy discussion and hopefully bring about a better understanding of what occurred within this incident.
“It is unfortunate that I was injured in this instance, but if any positive can be drawn from this, I hope the transparency helps foster an understanding into use of force and decision making.
“I believe I have a good rapport with the people I come into contact with and the people of Gloucester; this is what I aimed to do when I started policing.”
Gloucestershire Police said their officers respond to incidents across the county every day and while the vast majority are resolved without incident, there are occasions when officers need to use force to help safely diffuse a situation so that they and others are protected from harm.
Temporary Chief Superintendent Erica Field, Gloucestershire Police’s Use of Force lead, said: “Police officers are only allowed to use force to the extent that it is necessary, proportionate and legitimate in all the circumstances.
“Officers are trained to use the least amount of force required to safely resolve situations, and to ensure their learning and skills are kept up-to-date, they currently attend Public and Personal Safety Training every year, which includes use of force.
“Anyone can film officers in a public place and they expect this, but when that footage only tells part of a story, we feel we have a responsibility to provide the full operational context and support the officer, who was subjected to a nasty assault.
“We will not tolerate any assault on our officers and will always seek a prosecution.”
Temporary Inspector Adam Williams, Branch Chair of Gloucestershire Police Federation, said: “Police officers face an extraordinary level of scrutiny in today’s world, and we absolutely recognise the importance of transparency and accountability in the work we do. But that scrutiny must be fair and based on the full facts – not on selectively edited clips circulated online without context.
“In this incident, the full body‑worn video confirms our colleague acted reasonably, proportionately, and entirely in line with his training while being violently assaulted. He was bitten during the struggle, causing a genuine injury, and he responded only to protect himself and bring a dangerous situation under control
“Officers are assaulted at alarming levels – nearly 49,000 in the past year alone, meaning an attack on an officer every 10 minutes in the UK. These are the realities our members face daily while doing their utmost to protect the public.
“It is deeply unfair for hard‑working police officers to be tried on social media by individuals or groups who push only one side of the story. We welcome the Constabulary’s clear and robust assessment of this incident and its public support for the officer involved.
“Our colleague showed professionalism throughout a dynamic and distressing situation. We are proud of the courage and dedication he displayed, and we will continue to support him – and all our members – who face increasing risks simply for doing their job.”
