A cop who was slammed online for punching a man on the floor has said that the suspect was actually biting his leg.
A video of Luke Goodhall being hit by a policeman went viral on social media, causing outrage.
Now, new bodycam footage and gruesome images of the injury reveals the detained man was allegedly aggressively biting his leg.
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The officer’s skin was reportedly pierced by the 39-year-old, who also allegedly tried to knee another cop in the face.
A passerby who filmed the interaction and posted it online sparked a social media frenzy, with the Gloucestershire Constabulary officer slammed for use of force.
However, following a review, the actions have been deemed ‘proportionate, necessary and legitimate’, as reported by Need To Know.
Goodhall was arrested for assault on 17 February on Eastgate Street, Gloucester.
He had recently been released from prison and was on license before being spotted reportedly chasing a believed victim down the road before being detained by cops.
He was further arrested for biting the officer and the other attempt on the accompanying cop.
Goodhall has been sentenced to nine months in prison after appearing at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on 19 February.
The sentence relates to assaulting the officer after admitting to assaulting a person occasioning them actual bodily harm.
The 39-year-old from Cheltenham, also pleaded guilty to common assistant of an emergency worker – the second officer.
He received a six month sentence to run concurrently and has also been charged with one count of assault for beating another person.
Goodhall is set to appear back in court on 25 March.
Due to these offences being committed whilst he was on license, he will serve the remainder of his last prison sentence followed by the fresh nine month spell.
The officer filmed, who has been in the police service for 11 years, said: “I strongly believe in informed decision making and healthy discussions.
“Being open, honest and acting with integrity is key to bridging the gap between police and the public.
“I am now relieved that the full incident is being disclosed to promote that healthy discussion and hopefully bring about a better understanding of what occurred within this incident.”
Erica Field, Temporary Chief Superintendent, Gloucestershire Police’s Use of Force lead, said: “Police officers are only allowed to use force to the extent that it is necessary, proportionate and legitimate in all the circumstances.
“Anyone can film officers in a public place and they expect this, but when that footage only tells part of a story, we feel we have a responsibility to provide the full operational context and support the officer, who was subjected to a nasty assault.
“We will not tolerate any assault on our officers and will always seek a prosecution.”
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