Gross misconduct for police officer in high-speed car chase

The police officer was in an unmarked police car during the incident in January 2020

A police officer who intentionally steered an unmarked vehicle into the path of a suspect car during a high-speed chase has been found guilty of "gross misconduct".

At a hearing in Exeter, PC Greene confirmed he deliberately drove into the speeding car to end the police pursuit, which caused a crash.

The pursuit was started after a car was spotted driving 70mph in a 30mph zone.

Both the passenger and driver in the other car were injured.

PC Greene was given a final written warning by the police disciplinary panel, which found he had breached the standards of professional behaviour.

The spontaneous pursuit started just after midnight on 3 January 2020 after a traffic officer in a marked police car spotted a Vauxhall Astra being driven at 70mph in a 30mph zone in the Barton and Hele area of Torquay.

The chase lasted about three minutes.

PC Greene activated the blue lights on his unmarked armed response SUV only three seconds before the crash and steered into the opposite lane less than one second before the impact, the panel heard.

The driver of the Astra, a 19-year-old man from Torquay was injured and his passenger, 20, sustained serious injuries.

During the high-speed chase, the pursuit commander gave clear commentary to the force control room and had started to coordinate options to bring it to an end.

David Ford, regional director of the IOPC, said the disciplinary panel found in these circumstances "this use of force... amounted to gross misconduct".

He said emergency response drivers are under "significant pressure" to respond to events and protect lives.

"It is vital, though, that police pursuits are undertaken in a safe manner, and that any use of force or tactical contact is reasonable, proportionate, and necessary."

The hearing followed a referral from the force and an investigation into the pursuit in Torquay.

The driver of the Vauxhall Astra admitted dangerous driving when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court in October.