The Metropolitan Police Service in the United Kingdom has dismissed Shola Balogun, a Nigerian-British officer based at Bromley Police Station, for biting a colleague at a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent.
The incident, which occurred on April 22, 2022, was investigated during a misconduct hearing held between October 21-23, 2024. The panel overseeing the case included Christopher McKay, Amanda Harvey, and Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead.
According to the hearing report, Balogun and the victim attended a 40th birthday celebration for a fellow officer at Goals Sports Bar, alongside approximately 70 other attendees. The two officers, who had known each other as colleagues since 2018, had previously engaged in light-hearted interactions without any prior conflict.
The victim recounted that around 11:30 p.m., after meeting Balogun on a staircase, Balogun unexpectedly grabbed his glasses, dropped them, and later pushed him by the throat. When the victim protested, Balogun allegedly leaned forward and bit him on the side of his face.
It read, “On the 22nd of April 2022 about 70 people attended a 40th birthday party for a police officer at Goals Sports Bar in Bexleyheath, Kent. Among those attending were members of her work team, ERT C, who were based at Bromley Police Station. PC Shola Balogun and PC (name withheld) were two of those police officers who were present at the party. The officers knew each other well as work colleagues, having been based at Bromley Police Station together since June 2018.
“There had been light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but no significant falling out. Both describe a good friendly working relationship. The victim said he arrived at the party at about 9 pm after meeting other officers in a nearby pub. PC Balogun arrived after the victim and he admitted that had been drinking alcohol before his arrival. There is a dispute about the incidents that took place between them during that evening.
“The victim says that at around 23.30 he walked up a flight of stairs from the dancefloor and found PC Balogun in front of him. PC Balogun was about an arms-length away when he reached out and grabbed the victim’s spectacles off his face and dropped them on the floor. This surprised the victim and he claimed to have then approached PC Balogun in a friendly manner whereupon PC Balogun responded by pushing him with his right hand to the victim’s throat area. When the victim then complained about PC Balogun’s actions in a conversation at a time when they were only a foot apart because the music was so loud, PC Balogun is alleged to have leaned forward and bitten the victim on the right side of his face.”
Balogun, however, denied the allegations, claiming he accidentally knocked off the victim’s glasses and did not push or bite him. Despite his denial, medical reports confirmed the victim had sustained a bite injury.
The hearing panel concluded that Balogun’s behaviour amounted to “discreditable conduct,” which undermined public trust in the police service. “Assaulting a fellow officer is unacceptable and discreditable behaviour,” the panel noted, stressing that police officers must maintain high standards of conduct at all times.
The panel noted that “The Regulation 30 Notice alleges that by acting in the way described PC Balogun brought discredit to the police service and undermined public trust in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This is alleged to have been a breach of the standard of Discreditable Conduct.
“Discreditable Conduct is explained in the College of Policing Code of Ethics as not behaving in a manner, whether on or off duty, which brings discredit to the police service or undermines public confidence in policing. This is further explained as being a requirement that police officers must keep in mind at all times that the public expects police officers to maintain the highest standards of behaviour. Police officers are instructed to always think about how a member of the public may regard their behaviour, whether on or off duty. The Panel is satisfied that PC Balogun breached this standard by biting the victim. Assaulting a fellow officer is clearly unacceptable and discreditable behaviour.”
Although Balogun’s former colleagues and an inspector who managed him for five years testified positively about his character, the panel cited previous disciplinary actions against him as aggravating factors.
Quoting Lord Justice Maurice Kay in Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset (2012), the panel acknowledged that while personal mitigation can apply in cases of misconduct, maintaining public confidence in the police remains paramount.
Given the seriousness of the assault and Balogun’s disciplinary history, the panel decided that dismissal without notice was the only suitable outcome. “The only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is dismissal without notice,” the ruling concluded.
