Police Constable Daniel Rusling, a response officer with Wiltshire Police, has been sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, after admitting one count of assault by beating against a 13-year-old boy. The incident occurred on October 14 last year in Chippenham, outside Monkton Park police station.
The boy, who was wearing his school uniform, had called 999 for help alongside a group of six children, stating they had been threatened by people in a car. Body-worn camera footage showed Rusling repeatedly swearing at the child and aggressively pushing him several times. The child was not physically injured.
Court Proceedings and Sentence
At Bristol Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, Rusling was handed an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete unpaid work. The case was investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is also overseeing a gross misconduct investigation.
Rusling will now face an expedited gross misconduct hearing, which could result in his dismissal from the force.
Police Apology and Commitment to Reform
Wiltshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper issued a direct apology to the victim and his family, stating: "Firstly, I want to apologise directly to the victim in this case - a child who was simply asking us to help him. I also want to extend this to his family, all the other children involved and to our wider communities - you absolutely expect better from us and we let you down."
Cooper condemned Rusling's actions as criminal, saying he "ignored his fundamental duty to protect a vulnerable person and, instead, used violence and vile language to intimidate and scare him." He emphasised that Rusling's behaviour was "in no way" representative of Wiltshire Police or the majority of its officers, and that the force would continue to "identify and remove" anyone displaying similar attitudes.
"We will also continue to ensure we learn from such appalling matters and make our stance on them unequivocally clear to the rest of our organisation, our partners and our communities," Cooper added.
