Met police officer sacked for punching medical worker

A Metropolitan Police officer has been fired after he punched a medical worker, mistaking him for a suspect. PC Jonathan Marsh was called to a clinic in Romford, east London, in November 2022. A caller reported someone damaging a surgery sign, but when Marsh arrived, he wrongly identified Rasike Attanayake, the caller, as the suspect. Footage of the incident shows Marsh aggressively telling Attanayake to get on the ground. He then punched him in the head, despite Attanayake pleading for him to stop. The judge later described Marsh’s actions as "disgusting and unwarranted." Marsh was found guilty of common assault and sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He received 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work. He must pay Attanayake £1,500 in compensation. Attanayake reported that the incident had lasting psychological and physical effects on him. Following a misconduct hearing, Marsh has now been banned from policing. He had claimed he did not regret his actions, stating they were necessary. The police chief condemned Marsh’s excessive use of force and expressed regret over the injury caused to Attanayake.