Cumbria Police Federation Chairman Paul Williams has given a statement, as an officer is investigated for his conduct in a Penrith incident.
Mr Williams agreed with a previous statement from Chief Constable Martin Hewitt that posting out of context clips on Social Media is a “hideous phenomenon” and asked that people refrain from "making negative comments".
Paul said: “Police officers have an incredibly difficult job and it is imperative that they are not subjected to trial by Social Media when they are out there trying to keep the public safe.
“A short clip of an incident does not always tell the full policing story. There is more to this than the video clip circulating online. Context is key. The scene in Penrith itself was presenting a lot of danger and steps had to be taken to make the area safe.
"This is an ongoing investigation due to a public complaint. We would welcome that investigation to get the full facts from both sides and I would hope that people would refrain from making negative comments about the officer I am supporting until the investigation is completed and the whole story is known.”
Paul added: “The Chair of the National Police Chief’s Council – Chief Constable Martin Hewitt - has described the public recording officers at work and posting out of context clips on Social Media as a “hideous phenomenon”.
“I would agree. That context is key - people need to remember there are two sides to every story and that is what a transparent investigation will uncover.”
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