Essex officer charged with assault | Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC – formerly IPCC)

An Essex police officer is due to appear in court next week on assault charges following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

PC Leonard Fogg, 27, of Basildon Police Station, will appear at Ipswich Magistrates Court on October 14 to face a charge of assault.

The charge relates to an incident on March 22, 2024, when PC Fogg and another officer arrested a woman in Basildon. As Officer Fogg attempted to handcuff the woman, a struggle ensued in which the officer allegedly used excessive force against the woman, including a knee strike, PAVA spray and multiple blows to her back.

Our investigation began following a police conduct referral in March 2024. After completing our investigation in August 2024, we sent an evidence file to the Crown Prosecution Service, who approved the charges.