Wild moment off-duty detective fights with bouncers outside a pub – but judge rules he acted ‘completely appropriate’
- Steven Lea Bell fought with guards
- Detective faced three charges of assault
- But the judge ruled that he acted in self-defense
Shocking footage shows an off-duty police officer brawling with pub security guards during a night out in Sydney.
Steven Lea Bell, a senior constable attached to Campbelltown Police Area Command, appeared in court over the incident, which took place at a pub in Camden in February last year.
He was charged with three felonies, including assault with bodily harm and common assault.
However, a magistrate cleared Bell of the charges on Tuesday, ruling that he had protected his partner from a bouncer and had acted “completely appropriate.”
The footage shows the off-duty detective being hit on the head six times by a bouncer as he tries to get up.
He then punches another guard into the gutter before arguing with the pub’s owner.
The incident began when the off-duty officer was told to leave the pub by a bouncer, before a second bouncer grabbed him by the throat and dragged him out.
The magistrate ruled that the bouncer had used ‘unjustified force’ and also found that the detective had acted ‘fully appropriate’ in self-defence at all times.
Bell’s mate was the real victim, it was judged, after he was punched in the face and knocked to the ground.
The man suffered a broken nose and was knocked out for 30 seconds.
The incident began when the off-duty officer was told to leave the pub by a bouncer, before a second bouncer grabbed him by the throat and dragged him out of the pub.
The footage shows the off-duty detective being hit on the head six times by a bouncer as he tries to get up
No charges have been filed against any of the bouncers involved.
Bell’s lawyer said out of court: ‘My client was beaten up and this is the problem when the cops pick the goodies and the bad guys.
“They have what I call tunnel vision.”
The detective has stepped down from desk duties. It is unclear if he will be reinstated.