West Mercia Police officer sacked over racist WhatsApp messages
The officer, who can't be named for legal reasons, will never be allowed to work for the police again
Last updated 23rd May 2023
A second West Mercia Police officer has been sacked from the force after he sent racist WhatsApp messages.
The officer, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was found to have sent messages referencing the death of George Floyd and several other messages with racial undertones to a colleague.
The officer went before a West Mercia Police misconduct hearing on Monday who found that the messages he sent were racist. He has now been sacked.
Barney Branston, representing the police service, said that the officer had admitted to gross misconduct but denied having racial motives.
The misconduct hearing heard that the officer faced allegations following a WhatsApp conversation with another unnamed officer.
But that officer has now been named as Jak Walshaw, 49, of Malinsgate Police Station in Telford. He was dismissed without notice.
Officer X’s conduct amounted to serious breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy; equality and diversity; and discreditable conduct.
Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: “Both officers engaged in abhorrent conversations, quickly after officer X was identified as being involved he was suspended from duty.
"I want to reiterate my comments made after Jak Walshaw was dismissed that we will continue to root out those views do not uphold our strong values of inclusion, equality and diversity and whose behaviour has no place in policing.”
Officer X, who was a PC based in Telford, will now be added to the College of Policing Barred List, preventing him from ever working UK policing in the future.