PC 599 Joseph Rusling and former PC 617 Gavin Mason
Date of Hearing: Monday 29th June to Friday 3rd July 2026
Hearing Location: Goole Old Magistrates Building
Hearing Start Time: 0900 hours
Officers Concerned: PC 599 Joseph Rusling and former PC 617 Gavin Mason
Standard(s) of Professional Behaviour:
- Authority, respect and Courtesy
- Duties and Responsibilities
- Discreditable Conduct
- Use of Force
- Orders and Instructions (PC RUSLING only)
- Honesty and Integrity (PC MASON only)
- Equality and Diversity (PC RUSLING only)
It is alleged that the officers breached the Standards or Professional Behaviour in that:-
Conduct Matter One – PC 599 Joseph RUSLING
Background
On 29 April 2024, PC Rusling was told in writing that the Standard Operating Procedure for taser deployment and BWV requires that BWV is activated prior to deployment of a taser. He was told BWV “must be activated”.
On 8 August 2024, he was told again, in writing, that a failure to activate his BWV when deploying his taser was in breach of the Operations STO and the BWV Standard Operating Procedure. He was reminded of the earlier email sent to him in April.
On 18 August 2024, PC RUSLING was on duty with another officer and was the driver of a marked police van conducting an area search for a suspect in a robbery.
At the junction of Neville Avenue and Schofield Avenue, Beverley, he believed he had spotted the suspect who was travelling towards his vehicle on a bicycle.
Whilst his vehicle was moving, and without warning the suspect, he drew his taser and discharged it at the suspect out of the open driver’s side window.
He did not activate his BWV prior to deploying his taser.
Allegations
Allegation one
By deploying his taser through an open window of a police vehicle, which was in motion at the material time and which he was driving, he was not in proper control of either the police vehicle or the taser. Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation two
In the circumstances of the case, deploying his taser upon the suspect was an unreasonable, disproportionate and/or excessive use of force. Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Use of Force and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation three
Despite being instructed in writing on two separate occasions that prior to deploying his taser, he must activate his BWV, he failed to do so. Such Behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Duties and Responsibilities and Orders and Instructions.
In conducting himself in this way, he breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour aforesaid. His behaviour, individually and/or cumulatively, amounts to gross misconduct in that it is so serious as to justify his dismissal.
Conduct Matter Two – PC 599 Joseph RUSLING & Former PC 617 Gavin MASON
Background
On 23 June 2024, PC Rusling and Former PC Mason were on duty when they were dispatched to assist colleagues with a report by a member of the public that a male was riding a bicycle on the main road from Driffield to Leconfield and he was “swerving all over the road”.
Allegations PC 599 RUSLING
Allegation one
After the male had purportedly been detained and/or arrested and placed in handcuffs and in the cage of a marked police van, PC Rusling used unnecessary and/or unreasonable and/or excessive force to pull him from the van by taking hold of the rigid handcuffs causing him to strike his head on the open van door and land unsupported on the road.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Use of Force and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation two
After pulling the male from the police van, causing him to strike his head on the open van door and land unsupported on the road, PC Rusling failed to offer any first aid or check for any injuries.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation three
After the male was returned to the cage of the police van, he behaved in an inappropriate and/or antagonistic manner towards the male by sticking out his tongue at him.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Discreditable Conduct.
In conducting himself in this way, he breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour aforesaid and such conduct individually and/or cumulatively amounts to gross misconduct in that it is so serious as to justify his dismissal.
Allegations Former PC 617 MASON
Allegation one
When responding to the incident aforesaid, he failed to adhere to his obligations under Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (“PACE”) and/or the associated Codes of Practice and he acted inappropriately and/or unlawfully toward the male in that:
He detained him without lawful authority.
Further and/or in the alternative, he failed properly to arrest him telling him he was “detained” and in doing so he acted outside of his powers.
Further and/or in the alternative, he failed properly or at all to inform him of the grounds of his arrest as soon as reasonably practicable.
Further and/or in the alternative, he failed to comply with his obligations under PACE and/or Code of Practice G when he failed to inform him why his arrest was necessary.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation two
He failed to comply with his obligations under Code of Practice C and/or Code of Practice G when he failed to caution the male.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation three
In putting his hands upon the male purportedly to detain him for the purposes of a search to ascertain his name, he used force upon him without lawful authority.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Use of Force, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation four
After he had purportedly detained and/or arrested the male and placed him in handcuffs and in the cage of a marked police van, he used unnecessary and/or unreasonable and/or excessive force to pull him from the van by his ankles causing him to fall onto his back on the floor of the cell and thereafter when pulling him from the van causing him to land unsupported on the road.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Use of Force and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation five
After pulling the male from the police van, causing him to fall onto his back on the floor of the cell and thereafter when, along with Pc Rusling, pulling him from the van during the course of which he struck his head on the open van door and subsequently landed unsupported on the road, he failed to offer the him any first aid or check for any injuries.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
Allegation six
When completing a use of force form in relation to this incident, he failed accurately or at all to record the force used upon the male.
Such behaviour breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Honesty and Integrity, Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct.
In conducting himself in this way, he breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour aforesaid and such conduct individually and/or cumulatively amounts to gross misconduct in that it is so serious as to justify his dismissal.
Conduct Matter Three – PC 599 Joseph RUSLING
Allegation one
On 14 June 2024, when responding to a domestic disturbance, PC RUSLING used inappropriate and/or offensive and/or derogatory and/or discriminatory language when referring to a member of the public.
Allegation two
On 12 July 2024, when responding to a report of a group of youths attempting to break into an abandoned building, he used intemperate and/or inappropriate and/or offensive and/or abusive language when speaking to one of those young people.
In conducting himself in this way, he breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour related to Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Equality and Diversity, and Discreditable Conduct. Such conduct, individually and/or cumulatively, amounts to gross misconduct in that it is so serious as to justify his dismissal.
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