A former Wiltshire Police officer who assaulted a 13-year-old boy while on duty would have been dismissed without notice had he not resigned days before his misconduct hearing, an official ruling has found.
Daniel Rusling, a former response officer, pleaded guilty earlier this year to assault by beating following an incident outside Monkton Park police station in Chippenham on 14th October 2025.
The boy, who was among a group of six children, had called 999 after reporting they had been threatened by people in a car.
Body-worn video captured Rusling repeatedly swearing at the child, who was still wearing his school uniform, before aggressively pushing him several times. The boy was not injured.
Rusling was sentenced in June to eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, along with 150 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation activity days and a £239 fine.
A special case hearing, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Deborah Smith on 20th July, found his actions amounted to gross misconduct. The hearing concluded that, had Rusling remained a serving officer, he would have been dismissed without notice. He has also been added to the College of Policing's barred list, preventing him from working as a police officer in future.
In her written decision, ACC Smith said Rusling's actions had "seriously undermined public confidence in the police service". She found his culpability, the harm caused and the aggravating factors were all high, noting that he committed the offence while on duty and in a position of public trust.
The hearing also noted that Rusling resigned from Wiltshire Police on 17th July, three days before the misconduct proceedings took place. He did not attend the hearing and no personal mitigation was put forward on his behalf.
Related article: WATCH: Wiltshire Police Officer Given Suspended Jail Sentence for Assaulting 13-Year-Old Boy
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