Police officer discovered useless as he awaited trial for assaulting soccer fan with baton

A police officer who had been charged with assaulting a teenage soccer fan two years in the past has tragically been discovered useless weeks earlier than his trial was about to start

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Soccer fan hit over head with baton by policeman as drive launch probe

A police provide charged with assaulting a teenage soccer fan has been discovered useless weeks earlier than the trial was set to start out.

27-year-old PC William Sampson was filmed leaving a fan battered and bloodied after placing him with a baton throughout an incident that occurred after the sport between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday in February 2020.

The fan was instantly taken to hospital afterwards after sustaining critical head accidents and the incident triggered a probe from the police watchdog to research any potential wrongdoing.

PC Sampson was anticipated to face trial in March after he had pleaded not responsible to illegal and malicious wounding at a earlier court docket listening to.

However South Yorkshire police have since confirmed Sampson, who was positioned on restricted duties pending the end result of his trial, was discovered useless at his house on Friday.

“We’re extremely saddened by information of Billy’s dying,” stated a Spokesperson for the drive.

“Our ideas stay with Billy’s household and family members and they are going to be supplied our full assist.”

Steve Kent, chairman of the South Yorkshire department of the Police Federation, stated: “On behalf of colleagues, all of our ideas are with Billy’s household, mates and colleagues right now.”

The incident in query was witnessed by 1000’s on-line after it was uploaded to social media, which shows Sampson charging in direction of the teenage fan earlier than placing him across the head along with his baton.

A girl who’s regarded as the mom of the injured fan might be heard within the video shouting “what have you ever carried out to my son?” whereas blood pours down his face.

Within the wake of the incident, a probe was launched by the Impartial Workplace for Police Conduct (IOPC) after South Yorkshire Police confronted on-line backlash for the best way they dealt with the state of affairs.

After the probe was launched, IOPC Regional Director David Ford stated: “We perceive why the pictures that have been circulated induced appreciable public concern.

“After the footage was shared on social media, a compulsory referral was made to us in relation to the conduct of the officer.

“It’s vitally necessary that the circumstances of the incident are topic to an unbiased investigation so we will totally perceive what occurred and impartially decide the info.”

Barnsley fan Spencer White filmed the footage that captured the ugly scenes and claimed he had “by no means seen something prefer it”.

“With it being a derby the ambiance throughout and after the sport was rowdy,” White added. “I used to be making my manner house after I noticed two followers preventing, so I began to document it simply in case something occurred.

“As quickly as I did that this officer sprinted in and whacked a Wednesday fan over the pinnacle. I could not consider it, I’ve by no means seen something prefer it.

“The officer did not try to intervene or calm anybody down he simply hit the lad immediately, it appeared actually pointless.

“I really feel just like the police’s angle usually was actually aggressive.”