Police Officer Permanently Barred After Deliberately Striking Cyclist Over Littering Incident
A police officer who intentionally drove his patrol vehicle into a cyclist after witnessing them discard a sandwich has been permanently barred from the profession. PC Frederick Boyle deliberately struck the cyclist with an unmarked police car in Norwich during March 2024, a misconduct panel has determined.
Details of the Deliberate Collision
The incident unfolded when Boyle, accompanied by PCs Kerron Tuttle and Abigail Thomas, observed the cyclist, referred to as 'Mr M', throwing a sandwich onto a grass verge. In response, Boyle activated the car's blue lights, ran a red light, and drove into Mr M as he attempted to cycle away. The collision left the cyclist trapped under his bicycle, with the panel concluding that Boyle intentionally caused the crash.
Boyle maintained that the contact was an unintentional byproduct of trying to block Mr M's escape. He also justified his failure to report the incident by stating he wished to prevent colleagues from blowing the situation out of proportion. However, the panel firmly rejected these claims, finding that Boyle should have recognised the collision as unavoidable and that his actions were unauthorised.
Investigation and Disciplinary Outcomes
The incident only came to light after a concerned witness reported it to Norfolk Constabulary, triggering an internal investigation. The disciplinary panel found that Boyle would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not already resigned from the force. He has been placed on a register that prevents dismissed officers from re-entering policing, effectively banning him for life.
PCs Tuttle and Thomas received 18-month written warnings for neglecting to ensure the cyclist's welfare and failing to report the collision. During the hearing, Tuttle described Boyle as a highly driven 'thief-taker' whose proactive nature made him determined to prevent Mr M's escape.
Previous Record and Panel's Condemnation
It was also revealed that Boyle had previously been involved in another collision while on duty, which led to him receiving eight penalty points on his internal police licence. The panel strongly condemned his actions, stating: 'For a car to deliberately collide with a bicycle, the offence being investigated must be of the most serious nature. It was clear in these circumstances that the offence under consideration did not meet that threshold.'
The panel added: 'Pc Boyle was not authorised to carry out this action and if authorisation had been sought in these circumstances, it would have been refused.' Norfolk Constabulary has been contacted for comment on the case.
