Bullying Police Sergeant Sacked For Shooting at Colleagues

Posted on April 18, 2016 by prisonsorguk • 0 Comments

A “bullying” police officer who held a knife to an officer’s neck and snared a colleague with a dog catching pole has been sacked.

Sergeant Michael Bromell of Thames Valley Police also shot at fellow officers with a BB gun and threatened to cut another officer’s hair with a knife.

He was dismissed without notice for gross misconduct following a hearing on Friday afternoon.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tim De Meyer said Sgt Bromell’s colleagues were “subjected to sinister and overbearing treatment”.

Sgt Bromell had been working in the Cherwell Local Policing Area. He was dismissed because of a range of incidents:

• Mid-2011: Shot at fellow officers with a BB gun in a report writing room
• August 2014: Carried a knife into an office and threatened to cut another officer’s hair and assaulted the same officer by holding a knife to his neck
• October 2014: Tried to scare and intimidate a fellow officer on a night search and also threatened to cut her hair off with a knife
• November 2014: Assaulted a police officer under his command by placing the loop of a dog catching pole around the officer’s neck and pulling on the pole causing pain to the officer’s throat
• August – November 2014: Carried a 6-8cm knife while on duty, which other officers found to be intimidating and concerning

His conduct was deemed to be gross misconduct and in breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour.

Det Chief Supt Meyer, head of professional standards, said: “A sergeant should lead, support and encourage officers to serve the public to the highest standards. Sergeant Bromell did quite the opposite.

“This bullying behaviour, from an officer in a position of power, caused considerable distress to junior colleagues who simply wanted to get on with their job of keeping people safe.

“Instead they were subjected to sinister and overbearing treatment from the very person who should have been looking out for them.

“Such oppressive behaviour is extremely rare and a disservice to the many sergeants in this force whose exemplary leadership does a great deal to serve people in our area.”