[Music]
calling through to the
police we're on F advenure bridge two
colleagues are currently with a young
lady mhm we just attempted to clim the B
War We Believe be for to jump off the
bridge
yes fellow citizens allow fellow
citizens to police them that consent is
very very
precious policing contributes to making
communities safe and we want everybody
to have a positive experience with the
police
he we got a name or anything yes a ref
which one
yes right you're underr rest on
suspicion of causing a public distance
when that doesn't happen and when we do
something wrong I'll say so um and I'll
deal with the consequences of it okay
friend do
then get off do you want to
go 4 years ago aan and Somerset police
took the unprecedented step of inviting
cameras to film the unit that
investigates their own offices whilst
restraining the female you called her a
[\h__\h] in a nutshell the counter
corruption unit is there to rout our
officers that have done something they
shouldn't have done knowingly these
officers could end their colleagues
careers and even land them in jail but
until now their work has remained a
mystery
we urgently need to take these officers
off front line duties when I first
joined this department people said to me
all right so you're joining the dark
side then are you get on the floor
now how does it feel for a police
officer when the tables are turned and
they are on the wrong end of a serious
allegation I am telling you my version
of this event and I am telling you that
did not happen and does a system where
the police investigate themselves really
work I don't know what to say it's the
worst misconduct I think I've ever seen
I don't really know how to tell you this
but we we've had a not guilty verdict
back what are you doing I took this kind
of nonsense my parents took this kind of
nonsense and they're still getting away
with
it
investigator Ian Jameson has called an
urgent meeting with senior colleagues to
discuss a new case he's been
assigned he's part of the specialized
unit that investigates police misconduct
cases the victim in this case has even
made a
complaint this case was actually
discovered by one of our internal panels
they saw the footage and they
highlighted it as bad
conduct the internal panel was viewing
the footage on the lookout for possible
assaults on the police it's now being
reviewed to see if the officers
themselves could be guilty of
career-ending
misconduct
hi you got a name or anything yours
yes two response officers have been
called to help a woman having a mental
health Health crisis who wants to jump
from Clifton suspension
bridge right you under rest onioning a
public fine okay
right on your feet one 2 three
L right don't do that
sorry no that was that was
me get
off do
you my [\h__\h] if you don't again I will
you you Happ to
set or
what my [\h__\h]
what have I
threaten right is the
car
be if that was going to spit at me
you're going to have to try it harder AR
you anyway
yeah Goin do you
you get your leg
down do you want to shut
up right there we
go don't you dare [\h__\h] do that do not
kick me right you're being
PID she need to come back to the
parver is a synthetic pepper spray that
officers carry for
self-defense come around and open this
door police rules state it should be
sprayed from at least a meter away and
that officers have a duty to look after
members of the public it's been used
on can we take her out the car yeah
stick on
ground
it looks awful cuz it is
awful police officers are trained to
deal with difficult people they're
trained how to use Force correctly
they're trained to be compassionate
parver isn't there as a punishment is a
tool for officer
protection and the spit Hood shouldn't
be used as a torture
instrument one one is there a van that
we could use out the bridge please cuz
we've
not drive the car it's got p in
it what
you is it
burning do you not get bored with
this at least we get paid to be in the
police station
on let
go we're just going her in the car and S
of pin her in as best we can and say
don't worry about
coming I don't think the young lady is
doing it because she wants
to you it's highly likely that the
underlying diagnosis here will be a
personality disorder which is normally
born of trauma normally in childhood
there's normally some Dreadful backstory
that goes with it and this person
perhaps has gone to the bridge on this
particular occasion in that moment of
crisis in order for someone to come and
contain and feel
[Applause]
held no why cuz you've attempted to spit
and then you've
kicked my yeah that's cuz father you
were warn several
times oh no do not P your
head kick anyone you kicked me no what
happened now the
time that's never bad time
for it's a matter of seconds between do
we know who it is to your arrest of a
public nuisance what would you have
expected to seen well why are you here
what's happened today how are
you where was the
kindness It's hostile it's aggressive
it's short-tempered I'm
ashamed this wasn't a person committing
a crime this was a person calling for
help we urgently need to take these
officers off front line
duties
good evening how may I help you
something happened when we went home and
I'm a little upset about it ah don't
worry it's fine no sorry I'm wasting
time no no no you're not wasting time
what's
happened I was so
drunk I was so drunk so you're not going
to believe me so it's fine uh I was on
my way downtown and a police officer was
there and she said to me I'm going to
arrest you for being drunk and
disorderly
and a police officer in a silver car
said don't worry I'll take her home I'll
sort her
out it was awful I lost my shoe we had
sex on the toll road she say you had sex
with the police
officer
yeah is it okay or not it was okay like
what happened is that a why you're inlaw
I just feel like you took advantage of
me
I feel upset and I feel disgusted about
it I can't get over it I thought I could
get over it and I thought I was fine but
I
can't Okay so we've got a acting
inspector police Sergeant who in essence
has had sex with a drunk female in his
car having sex with a member of the
public whilst duty is a criminal offense
which could lead to a lengthy prison
sentence Sergeant Lee cocking offered
the woman a lift because she was drunk
and vulnerable the whole reason the
police were originally called is because
our victim was the best way to describe
it as she was being a nuisance in one of
the local um clubs he told her to go and
see if she could find her friends see if
she could get a lift home with them and
he had said if you don't find your
friends and you cannot get a lift home
then I'll pick you up
the CCTV camera follows her to the next
nightclub where she appears to go and
look for her friends and then it shows
her walking off towards the other
point he's said to the other officer no
need to arrest her or take her home you
know it does feel
predatory it is our biggest issue
officers using their position
to form elicit relationships with
vulnerable members of the public and
forming relationships with people that
they have met through the course of
their duties that is a big problem
unfortunately where do we think this has
happened then sex well from the
description she's given us we think it's
happened on the tall
road we were able to pinpoint which laby
they were in from the radio data
the laby set back into kind of like a
forest
area it's pitch black there's no street
light in there's no CCTV there's no
houses that Overlook it so literally if
there was going to be somewhere you were
going to park to have sex with a drunk
female you pick the tall
Road she remembers being outside of the
car she said the original had attempted
to have sex in the car and it wasn't
working so she then recalls being
outside of the car leaning back in onto
the driver's seat and him being behind
her you do not have to say anything but
it may harm your defense if you do not
mention when questioned something that
you lce r on in
court 12 days after the complaint is
made Sergeant Lee cocking is arrested
and brought in for interview can you
tell me your knowledge of the
circumstances driving down SE front I
said where do you want me to drop you
and she said it's just down the End by
the
pier and then she just said pull over
pull over pull over here I said all
right you know calm down and then as I
pulled over she L over to start trying
to kiss me and I said no I can't I said
work I was trying to
Bel I persued to just let me drive
home she directs me to her home address
and I can hear her shuffling about and I
look around and she's now pulled her
pants and and nickers down and she Polly
and quietly said I want you to [\h__\h] me
and I keep saying I can't I'm working
it's not right I cannot do
it and then she's saying park down the
road don't park it next my
house so I called in
there and she's climed on top of me and
I'm saying please don't do
this so she has wedged herself on the
gap between me and the steering M and
she grabs penus and forcefully PS it
out I'm saying please don't she kept
trying to play with the Willie trying to
make me go
hard you know she managed to make it
swell a little bit you know there were
times it was inside she's kind of bed up
and down half a dozen times got annoyed
because I haven't gone properly
hard I'm sure if I really really tried I
could have forced them off but
shock I just sat there
PR in a lot of
cases you do
think what were you thinking what on
Earth were you thinking why did you do
that surely you would know that that is
going to somehow get out and put you in
a whole world of trouble why would you
do
that is there any reason for her not to
be telling the
truth I can't see she's got anything to
gain from this whole process other than
reliving the trauma of that night she's
got nothing to gain from
this well you've done you've done the
right thing by telling me but that's why
I want to help you no one's going to
believe me they're not going to believe
me Miss why do you think that cuz I've
got no evidence what evidence have I got
oh he picked me up from there remember
it's just going to say oh I took her
home the evidence will now be assessed
to see if it is strong enough to lead to
a criminal charge for sergeant
cocking
this from Clifton yeah yeah just come on
to wait in the van do
okay home sweet
home the case of the woman arrested on
Clifton suspension bridge has been
escalated to the independent office for
police conduct a national body that
oversees the police complaints system in
England and Wales please take off
no just take
off
no in 2022 over 81,000 complaints went
through this system fewer than 1%
resulted in formal misconduct
proceedings during the iopc
investigation the two constables will be
represented by the police Federation a
staff Association for officers if you
[\h__\h] around with your legs then be on
the come on come on
Mr local Federation chair Mark loer
reviews the body warn camera
footage get on your
knees right I'm going to take this off
you now okay do not spit
right we to just start off by getting
the coat off are we happy Pockets Etc
got Bel on WE you get a coat off and do
the you going take the handcuffs off
there we go all
right all
right there we
go take your jacket
off okay get on
just I mean I don't know what to say I I
it's this the worst Mond I think I've
ever seen how can anybody with a reason
mind say that any part of this is
acceptable you know she's clearly in
crisis this young lady it might be the
15th time we've been to her that week
she still treat deserves to be treated
properly and
fairly it shows a level of
malevolence and they dehumanize her
that's the hardest part for me they
don't treat them as a human
being
you okay I'll
take
then I'm embarrassed and I'm and I'm sad
I think it's gross
misconduct can't happen
but regardless of the conduct that we've
observed in this
matter both officers are subscribing
members to the Federation so we will
represent them but what people have to
remember is we're not defense solicitors
we're not here to defend Behavior we're
to here to to represent them to ensure
that the the regulations are properly
applied and proper due processes
followed you know they've got a right to
be supported but I think the offic is
going to struggle to justify her actions
and what we potentially got is criminal
assault my name is Samantha Harding I'm
an investigating officer with
Professional Standards with a and
Somerset
conaby on the 25th of April
2021 together with other police
colleagues you attended an
incident a new complaint has been made
to the police about two officers accused
of mistreating a mental health
patient staff from the hospital were
asking for assistance with a vulnerable
patient who had left the hospital and
was refusing to return with
them this is the first step with a case
like this it's called serving notice to
inform the the subjects they are under
investigation you demonstrated a lack of
respect towards a vulnerable
person you laughed joked and also mocked
her disability and
vulnerability whilst restraining the
female you called her a [\h__\h]
[\h__\h] based on all of this information
the conduct described above if proven or
admitted has been assessed
misconduct the NHS raised this issue uh
with e Force mental health support
officer so the police were called to
assist the NHS
staff they get to the scene and this
lady's in a wheelchair and the NHS staff
are struggling to get the lady back into
hospital not deception wants to jump in
the road
car the lady herself is quite distressed
she wants to go and jump in the river to
harm herself we don't want the lady to
go off and self harm we want her to be
safely brought back into the hospital to
be looked after so we've got a
responsibility and duty of care towards
her they've got to prevent that risk of
harm you need listen to me okay do you
remember me we went to primary schoolo
yeah you remember me yeah you're right
I'm going to put some Lego shrinks on
you so you don't kick me
okay that is the worst strapping I've
ever seen oh come
on I can't legally keep me there yes we
can I'm not under so they can't stop you
will be in a
minute the officers are quite immature
I'd say and unprofessional throughout
okay maybe W thank
you thank you for that lovely bit of
information there are some comments
around when she's wet herself that for
me is completely
unacceptable okay I want to
die
W you're not going to
hospital she
breathing the comments and noises that
they're making not respectful to the
lady that's having the Mental Health
crisis [\h__\h]
[\h__\h] both of the the officers concerned
are using sort of language of of a
nature which is clearly not appropriate
in the circumstances this lady's clearly
vulnerable clearly upset clearly
distressed she's having this Mental
Health crisis and the comments are just
purely inappropriate and
um that's the concern here my lady your
carage
awaits you are going back you are love
all right and there's only one way it's
going to happen it's either you get on
there or I put you on there not going
all right how we doing
this yeah you're
coming up
you so they got the lady back into the
hospital where she could be safely
looked
after thank you very
much
but then once the officers left the
hospital they kept their body worn video
running they went outside for a discreet
[\h__\h] on body video
camera there so many inappropriate on
that
body they proceeded to have a laugh and
a joke about the lady uh which is
completely inappropriate they talked
about how inappropriate they'd actually
been on body war video camera that was
that was really shocking for me and a
massive aggravating factor for them to
acknowledge how inappropriate they've
been it's completely
unacceptable Mark's investigation has
found the two officers behavior is
clearly below expected police
standards they must now await the
consequences of their
actions policing changes you certainly
when you you join you're full of wanting
to save the world and and help people um
you got to remind yourself very
frequently that that's that's the reason
that you
joined what kind of vulnerabilities do
you think you're dealing with generally
in the police mental health is number
one isn't it you're coming across people
in crisis every day aren't you you might
see 3 four 5 10 20 people every day who
are in crisis for you it's totally
regular occurrence for them it's
probably the first time they've dealt
with the police it's probably the worst
day of their
lives no one ever calls the police to
say they're having a good day and you
know over a course of a career there's
this constant drip feed of experience
and all those experiences are are
negative now that's not the fault of the
person who's been made the victim here
that's what that's what we're for but
that officer goes and deals with that
scenario and then as soon as they finish
that they're off to another one and then
another one and and that does affect you
to the point where your view of the
world
changes your attitude and your behavior
breeds their attitude and their behavior
and then it goes in this big spiral of
either escalation or
deescalation and it's how we deal with
that how we accept that that is a likely
consequence of a career in policing so
therefore how do we debrief those
offices how do we
diffuse those offices regular
to make sure there isn't a buildup of
cynicism or negativity which leads to
something called compassion fatigue you
know because if you get to that point
there's quite a lot of unpicking that
needs to be done you're everything
aren't you you're the psychiatrist
you're the paramedics you have to be
everything to those people in that
moment they are in crisis it's not an
excuse It's very real constantly dealing
with people who have been harmed in some
way whether that be victim of crime or
hurt or injured um distressed you're
dealing with that shift by shift hour by
hour and that's what's hard it's the
fact that this job is almost constantly
dealing with well constantly dealing
with bad
news Sergeant cocking the officer in the
sex on duty case claims that trauma he
experienced at work meant he could not
stop the sexual encounter in the police
car in 2002 I attended an incident on
the 32 which was very
traumatic memories of this incident haed
me afterwards and I continued to have
flashbacks with number of
years this D no I
PE he's saying she was the aggressor
that he was the victim of a serious
sexual assault so he's saying it wasn't
that physically he couldn't push her off
and stop her doing what she was doing
emotionally mentally he he couldn't cope
with it he's faced with a drunk female
and he can't push her away or call for
help that that account in itself is just
un
unbelievable it's a fast score
defense the fact that he
hasn't reported what happened to him and
this hasn't come to light until this
allegation has come up is
concerning my PTSD has been caused by
the incidents I attended in
work actually being at home for you know
months on end with nothing but traumatic
memories and
thoughts there's no relief you know it
actually made me worse and so you bury
it but you can only do that for so long
and and eventually you know this is
where offices then
break I've gone through some difficult
times I I've had incidents where I've
walked into an underpass before um and
somebody walking the other way is D
themselves and petrol and set light to
themselves you know you're not prepared
for things like that I had an incident
where two people went out to see for a
swim and they were struggling and 90
minutes I watched them for the for help
still help
me looking back now and looking at the
advice I've been given I shouldn't been
in work um when I finished therapy in
2015 when I was first diagnosed with
PTSD I was taught by the therapist that
I should consider other jobs and that I
shouldn't go back to the
police but for
me I wanted to be normal and normality
was doing what I did before I had a
breakdown
thing so therefore you
know to you know to be normal I had to
go back and and do my
job Lee cocking is awaiting trial
charged with misconduct in a public
office when Lee was telling me that he's
been
accused of having sex with a female
whilst on
duty I asked him well did you do it
basically but I said it in quite a crude
way I said well well did you [\h__\h] her
and he said
no that's all I needed to know I love
him he's you know he's my husband I
trust him he's the father of my
children I guess some people find it
hard to believe that you weren't able to
repel her
advances it's easy to look at me as you
know I'm a male therefore I'm physically
stronger but mentally I wasn't mentally
I was in quite a weak
position this person was able to take
advantage of
that if convicted Sergeant cocking could
receive a lengthy prison
sentence
all right we're just going to check her
in the car it's 2 months since officers
used parver spray on a suicidal woman at
Clifton suspension bridge right you
P they've been put on restricted duties
so they don't come into contact with the
public I told
you I'll go through the
process this is an independent
investigation I'm intended in to serve a
notice provide a copy of criminal
letter the two officers are being
formally notified by the iopc that they
are being investigated for criminal
Behavior as well as gross
misconduct we requested permission from
the iopc to film this part of the
process my concern here today is the
welfare of the officers because I know
this would be stressful for them facing
an incred r l traumatic
time my decision is going to be I'm
sorry guys but this should be done in
private if that's what they asking
certainly won't be a
c a police officer from cheddar has
appeared in court accused of having sex
with the woman whilst on duty on
Christmas
Eve it's 2021 and the sex on duty case
has taken over 3 years to reach trial
Sergeant Lee cocking has been suspended
on full pay throughout this
period we've just spent two weeks in
trial and the jury have spent less than
less than an hour to come to their
decision he's not
guilty it was pretty tough to listen to
the defense summon up where they just
fited him bashed demonizing um our
victim and basically portraying her as
as the
aggressor I don't really know how to
tell you this but we we've had a not
guilty verdict
back uh and well yeah I I yeah I just
didn't see this coming right from my
point of view this is not the end of the
road for me my next step is to proceed
with a misconduct process yep so he's
certainly not going to be keeping his
job shely is he no um but I need to now
go through that process yeah uh so with
the criminal trial it's all about beyond
all reasonal doubt so uh it's a much
higher burden of proof with the
misconduct process it's on the balance
of probabilities it is what it is I
suppose it it
is
despite an acquittal at criminal trial
aan and Somerset are still pursuing
their case against Lee cocking they plan
to bring it before an independent panel
who will decide if he'll be sacked for
gross
misconduct I'm not sure we were in a
position not to carry on with
proceedings because the allegation that
a police officer has had sex with a
vulnerable
female I think it's only right and
proper that that evidence is tested in a
process and if we were then just to say
okay well we didn't we didn't get over
the line in the criminal process so
we'll draw a line under it and that'll
be the end of it I think we probably
would have faced some
criticism you're not going to
breathing over 5 months after officers
mocked a woman for having a mental
health
crisis a verdict has been reached in the
case there so many inappropriate on that
body it's gone up to Professional
Standards PSD have assessed it and for
them they're of the opinion that this
can be dealt with through reflective
practice it's been judged that the
officer's Behavior does not meet the
threshold for misconduct the only
consequence for them is a conversation
with their line manager about the
incident
I want us to speak freely about this
yeah it's it's a discussion to see what
we did that was good and what we did
that was bad and what learning we can
take off the back of that what's your
opinion then buddy obviously we did
things wrong that we should have done
right and we should have acted better is
the bottom line I've made a few mistakes
there and yeah I do need to do
better but mental health domestics we
are going to them so much so often that
it is just becoming another job yeah and
we're not always seeing the victim at
the end of it so you desensitize to it
yeah massively if you don't become
desensitized then you can't do the job
because you'll just get ruined within
the first
week and if you let stuff affect you and
you put too much empathy or connect too
much with one person then you'll be
distraught you'll be off on sitck
because we can't maintain that if if you
don't become desensitized then you can't
do the job
so the public don't actually know what
we do like they see the cop shows like
interceptors and they think that's what
police is about it's all safeguarding
vulnerability mental health it's all we
deal with half the time it's when
they're not getting the support that
they are wanting from other services
they call the
police that really isn't our remit it
it's town to Social
Services what would you do differently
next
time I think for this instant is for me
a little bit of a kick to say right need
to come back more
human Sarah crew is the chief Constable
of aan and Somerset police the
responsibility for the Force's
investigations into police misconduct
lies with her can you help us understand
why was no misconduct found in this case
well the process has been gone through
that said looking at it myself I find it
difficult um not to see that there isn't
some misconduct in place in that
officers who work in AV and Somerset
please Now operate in my name and I'm
responsible and I'm accountable and
those weren't my standards so just just
so we're clear if this Behavior would to
happen again would you consider it to be
Mis misconduct yes I haven't got any
doubt about that there was a few things
that were said that really shouldn't
have been said a couple of cyclists came
down to cycle through us at the scene
like in between us and the patient while
we're on the floor with her I called one
um just under my own breath but I said
[\h__\h] [\h__\h] um because I was just so
infuriated it's not a nice word to use I
get how that would make us all
frustrated that would make me frustrated
you know I can't say I would use that
language you know but you know it would
make me frustrated it wasn't appropriate
at all and well was never appropriate
but yeah but I think this is a good
thing you know I mean this reflective
practice I've never I've never dished
out before and I think it's fairly new
uh so you know the chance for us just to
have a chat and conversation about like
I said it doesn't lead towards any
misconduct proceedings or anything like
that so it's a conversation between you
and I but I think it's really productive
you know we've had a good chat about it
they uh and it's certainly better than
it going you know certainly having to go
upstairs and have those conversations
there right I think that went really
well I've covered all our points
reflective practice doesn't also need to
be seen as an easy option either
reflective practice can and should be a
really
meaningful
uncomfortable challenging actually
fundamentally
transformational experience for
officers
it's 2022 and 4 years since Sergeant Lee
cocking was accused of having sex with a
member of the public whilst on
duty a month before his gross misconduct
hearing he's been granted ill health
retirement with a full pension on
account of his
PTSD how do you feel about that uh
frustrated uh is probably the under
statement of the century so he would
have been on £46,000 a year he'd been on
that for the last four
years I think the public perception will
be how can you have an officer who's
accused of something so
serious and in parallel Grant him
medical
retirement both officers in the Clifton
suspension bridge incident have also
left the force before the case against
them has been heard although they've
decided to
resign the iopc has now completed their
year-long investigation into the case
and the Avan and Somerset police
officers who initially looked into it
are discussing their
findings the IPC have supplied a final
report in relation to criminal matters
the allegations amount to a potential
criminal offense although I have decided
not to refer this matter to the CPS as I
believe it can be dealt with
appropriately under the misconduct
regime it doesn't give any rationale for
that it's how it is isn't it you know it
wasn't investiga was an independent
investigation uh owned and managed by
iopc they are the ones who had all the
information they're the ones who
conducted the interviews it's for them
to decide whether they go to CPS not
us all the officers we filmed reviewing
footage of this incident told us they
believed the behavior was criminal but
the iopc has decided not to hold the
officers to account in this
way this decision cannot be overturned
because criminal charges for common
assault must be made within 6 months of
an incident a period of time that's
elapsed in this
case the next stage is a gross
misconduct hearing where the most
serious consequence is a lifetime ban
from
policing I think people in our audience
s will be will be really shocked and
disgusted that that no criminal charges
were even brought in this case I ask the
same question why is this not being
treated as a criminal offense I think my
understanding is is that the young woman
in question has not been able to make a
statement and has not engaged at all so
there is no criminal complaint so that
would be the rationale for the iopc not
progressing in that
way I've watch that footage I would be
as shocked as any member of the public
who would see it it made me feel
distressed
ashamed and really really quite
worried we expected to see concerning
behavior and mistakes but it just feels
like radical change is needed to the to
way the system is working I'm the chief
conable of aen in Somerset police I work
within that system I've got to work to
make the right outcomes for the public
to attract confidence of the public some
of the things that you've shared with me
I'm concerned
about
um but the very fact that you're here
and you're looking at it should send a
message that we're not afraid of
confronting the failings in the system
as it applies to us hopefully this
documentary will make a case it will
start a debate but for the time being
I'm just going to keep working within it
and trying to make it
better