A police officer charged with assaulting a teenage soccer fan after being filmed beating him with a baton has been discovered lifeless simply weeks earlier than his trial.
PC William Sampson, 27, was filmed working on the fan and leaving him bloodied after hitting him throughout a fracas after a conflict between Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.
The teenager was despatched crashing to the bottom and was taken to hospital with head accidents, sparking a livid backlash and prompting a probe from the police watchdog.
PC Sampson, often called ‘Billy’, was as a result of face trial in March after pleading not responsible to illegal and malicious wounding at a earlier courtroom listening to.
However South Yorkshire Police has confirmed he was discovered lifeless at his residence on Friday afternoon. He had been positioned on restricted duties pending the result of his trial.
A spokesperson for the power mentioned: “We’re extremely saddened by information of Billy’s dying.
“Our ideas stay with Billy’s household and family members and they are going to be provided our full assist.”
Steve Kent, chairman of the South Yorkshire department of the Police Federation, mentioned: “On behalf of colleagues, all of our ideas are with Billy’s household, pals and colleagues presently.”
Paying tribute on-line, Sadie Tummon mentioned: “RIP Billy you had been a great buddy to me from a younger age all through my childhood and college. You can be missed.”
Andrea Campbell added: “So very unhappy, I keep in mind Billy as just a little boy, my daughter’s buddy in Dobcroft Faculty.
“My ideas are along with his beautiful mum, his brothers and the remainder of his household. Really heartbreaking.”
Stunning video footage of the incident reveals Sampson charged in the direction of the teenager earlier than whacking him over the pinnacle along with his baton.
A girl, reported to be the lad’s mum, might be heard on the video screaming, “what have you ever executed to my son?” as blood pours down his face.
The conflict occurred on the finish of the South Yorkshire Derby between Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley at Oakwell on February 8 2020, which ended 1-1.
A probe was launched by the Unbiased Workplace for Police Conduct (IOPC) after South Yorkshire Police confronted a backlash on-line for the “aggressive” response.
An IOPC spokeswoman mentioned it accomplished its investigation in August that yr and referred a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which made the choice to cost Sampson.
Officers had been monitoring followers on the time of the incident as they made their approach from the soccer floor in the direction of the transport interchange within the city.
Cell phone footage confirmed the officer putting the teenager over the pinnacle, leaving him with a gaping head wound and coated in blood, and was shared on-line.
When the probe was launched, IOPC Regional Director David Ford mentioned: “We perceive why the photographs that had been circulated prompted appreciable public concern.
“After the footage was shared on social media, a compulsory referral was made to us in relation to the conduct of the officer.
“It’s vitally vital that the circumstances of the incident are topic to an unbiased investigation so we are able to totally perceive what occurred and impartially decide the information.”
Barnsley supporter Spencer White, who filmed the footage, mentioned after the incident: “With it being a derby the environment throughout and after the sport was rowdy.
“I used to be making my approach residence once I noticed two followers combating, so I began to report it simply in case something occurred.
“As quickly as I did that this officer sprinted in and whacked a Wednesday fan over the pinnacle.
“I couldn’t consider it, I’ve by no means seen something prefer it.
“The officer didn’t attempt to intervene or calm anybody down he simply hit the lad immediately, it appeared actually pointless.
“I really feel just like the police’s angle typically was actually aggressive.”
South Yorkshire Police confirmed the boy was been injured by an officer’s baton and promised a “full and open investigation” after the incident.
The boy was taken to hospital for remedy to a head damage and one officer additionally required remedy.