Bridgwater officer charged with misconduct
A former Avon & Somerset police officer has been charged with three counts of misconduct in public office. Lewis Wood, of Bridgwater, will appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Tuesday 24 October). He will be charged with the alleged wilful sharing of policing material between December 2018 and August 2020. This the Crown Prosecution Service allege would amount to an abuse of the public’s trust.
The force say at the time of the alleged offences, he was based in Somerset. His employment with Avon & Somerset Police was ended in 2021.
42 year old Lewis is no longer employed within the Police service elsewhere either.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “We’d like to reassure the public that since these allegations came to light, we have conducted a thorough investigation, culminating in a case file being presented to the CPS and these serious charges being brought. The charges relate to the alleged distribution of images and videos on WhatsApp to family and friends by a now-former officer while he served for Avon and Somerset Police. They encompass several incidents or investigations and one of the charges relates to the alleged sharing of images of a deceased male.”
The Police also say they have ensured that all those affected by these allegations are being kept up to date. They will receive support from the Police in recognition of the fact the news is likely to cause them an immense amount of hurt and pain.