The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has dismissed Officer Shola Balogun, a Nigerian-British officer from Bromley Police Station, after a panel found that he allegedly bit a colleague’s face during an altercation at a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent. The incident reportedly took place on April 22, 2022, at Goals Sports Bar, where around 70 people had gathered to celebrate a 40th birthday.
The details of the case were reviewed during a hearing held from October 21 to 23, 2024, chaired by high-ranking officer Christopher McKay, with IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead serving as panel members. According to hearing documents, Balogun and the alleged victim were known to have engaged in playful interactions at work and maintained a friendly relationship. However, tensions reportedly escalated during the party after Balogun allegedly grabbed the victim’s glasses, leading to a heated exchange. The victim claimed Balogun then bit him on the face, leaving a visible wound.
Balogun denied the biting allegation, arguing that the removal of the glasses was accidental. Nonetheless, medical reports confirmed a bite wound on the victim, supporting the colleague’s account of events. The panel found Balogun’s actions to be in breach of the Discreditable Conduct section of the College of Policing Code of Ethics, which underscores the need for officers to uphold public confidence.
In reaching their decision, the panel noted Balogun’s previous disciplinary record and emphasized that his behavior constituted a significant violation of conduct standards. Despite Balogun’s positive character references, including one from his inspector, the panel concluded that these did not outweigh the seriousness of the incident.
“The Panel bears in mind the words of Lord Justice Maurice Kay in the well-known case of *Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset* [2012] EWCA Civ 1047,” the panel remarked. “As to personal mitigation, just as an unexpectedly errant solicitor can usually refer to an unblemished past and the esteem of his colleagues, so will a police officer often be able so to do. However, because of the importance of public confidence, the potential of such mitigation is necessarily limited.”
The panel ultimately determined that Balogun’s disciplinary history and the nature of his actions warranted dismissal without notice, stating, “The only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice.”
