The Disciplinary Tribunal of the British Police, on Wednesday, found a Merseyside officer guilty of multiple offences, including taking selfies at a murder scene.
The Guardian reported that Ryan Connolly who joined the Merseyside police department in January 2003 was also guilty of taking photos of people in a mental health crisis, sharing racist and homophobic images via WhatsApp.
The media said since 2014, the officer has committed multiple violations for which he has been convicted of gross misconduct and he resigned before a court hearing in November.
The media quoted Merseyside deputy chief constable Ian Critchley as saying “Connolly had taken photographs of vulnerable people on his personal phone whilst on duty.
“This breached the duty of confidence; lacked honesty and integrity, and through his discreditable conduct, he has undermined public confidence.’’
The discipline panel held that Connolly stored racist photos and graphics, including of Muslim people.
In 2015, the former police officer took a photo of an individual who had slashed the wrists.
In 2017, he took photos of police detainees, sending them via WhatsApp. He even made a selfie while guarding the murder site where a teenager was stabbed to death, according to the media.
During questioning by detectives, Connolly said he could remember neither the way those pictures were downloaded and captured nor the photos themselves, the media said.
Connolly’s phone was impounded in February 2020 by detectives from Merseyside’s anti-corruption unit.
