- Footage shows the phone upright on the dash board displaying a football match
A police officer has been suspended from driving a day after a video emerged of two officers allegedly watching a football match on a high-speed drive to a 999 emergency.
The video was filmed by a passenger at 8:33pm on 5 August 2022 in Pontypridd, South Wales, when Crystal Palace played Arsenal in the first Premier League match of the season.
In the footage, the phone can be seen upright on the dash board with the match on as the vehicle speeds through the windy country roads. The sirens and blue lights are on, indicating the high-level of urgency needed in the response.
A source said they complained about the footage last year, but Chief Inspector Eddie May said the force had only been made aware on October 6.
‘Road safety is of paramount importance and we expect the highest standards of behaviour and professionalism to be maintained by our officers at all times,’ the chief inspector said.
A police officer has been suspended from driving a day after a video of two officers allegedly watching a football match on a high-speed drive to a 999 emergency
‘The driver has been formally suspended from driving by the force’s driver training unit pending the outcome of the professional standards department investigation.’
The man who made the complaint said: ‘You can hear them laughing in the background of the video – it’s clear evidence of police officers doing the wrong thing.
‘If it was a member of the public doing this, I don’t think there’d be this delay to take action.’
South Wales Police previously said the footage is being reviewed for potential wrongdoing by the force’s professional standards department.
A force spokesperson said: ‘The complaint currently sits with South Wales Police’s Professional Standards Department and will be reviewed, assessed and allocated in the near future.
‘The complainant will be updated once the initial assessment and fact finding takes place.’
The video was filmed by a passenger at 8:33pm on 5 August 2022 in Pontypridd, South Wales, when Crystal Palace played Arsenal in the first Premier League match of the season
Pictured: Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard playing Crystal Palace
