Essex Police has released a video defending an officer who used a stinger on a motorbike – for what is believed to be the first time on British roads – during the Southend Shakedown on Easter Monday.
Scroll down to take a look at the video of the incident.
. @CSuptNolan talks about our use of a 'stinger' device in #Southend last weekend and the unacceptable abuse our office on the scene received on social media as a result of a command decision. pic.twitter.com/jHsY0Tixu3
— Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) April 4, 2018
A video that has appeared on social media shows a policeman on Southend seafront deploying the stinger to stop a motorcyclist who rode past him while he was stopping traffic to let a group of children on bikes cross the road.
www.facebook.com/YourSouthend/videos/1899393433413940/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">Police Use STINGER to Stop Shakedown Bikers
WATCH: Police appeared to used a stinger device to try to stop motorcyclists from riding on Southend seafront today, during an unofficial Shakedown event. This video appears to show an officer deploying a stinger device to stop motorcyclists passing him. Stinger devices consist of a plastic mat which contains upward facing hollow metal spikes which are very sharp and capable of piercing the tread of a tyre, causing a controlled deflation. This incident took place outisde the old Esplanade pub on Southend seafront. More on this to come + more videos of this incident. Keep following us for updates. Join our Facebook group 'Southend Discussion Page' for more updates too. Video by Clare.
Opublikowany przez Your Southend Poniedziałek, 2 kwietnia 2018
Since its appearance, it’s caused a mass debate – with opinion split between whether it was a fair use of the stinger, or if it was dangerous. And now Essex Police’s Chief Superintendent Rachel Nolan has defended their actions. She said: “Over the bank holiday, we policed a motorcycle event in Southend. The vast majority of people who came to the event were responsible and enjoyed a great day out. A tiny number of people behaved antisocially or dangerously and it is our job to deal with that.
“As a result of some dangerous driving, I authorised a member of my team to use a stinger device. His photo has been posted on Facebook and abusive comments have been made about him from individuals and Essex businesses without any moderation.