This Police Officer was trying to stop a van that was being driven at 51mph in a 30mph area of the Brighton Road in Shoreham. The following information was published in this piece on the Argus that explains more of the case. Jeffrey Tooley was certainly not the first Police Officer from Sussex to be killed and sadly there have been many others. As was reported a few weeks ago two Police Officers died earlier this year and back on 25th September 2020 Matt Ratana, from Sussex, died after being shot by a handcuffed suspect detained in the Croydon Custody Centre. The details of that case were published in this Eastbourne Herald case. There is a clear need for our communities to work hard to protect all of our residents and visitors and this must vitally include all of the people who faithfully work in the public sector settings such as the Police. In the same way that there are very clear views from some individuals that oppose groups of people in society, equally very sadly there are people who are critical of the people who work to protect us. We clearly need to find ways to end both of these aspects.

“The evidence is that as the van approached there was no decrease in speed. The van moved to the middle of the road and PC Tooley also moved to the middle, no doubt expecting the van to stop – but stop it did not. It lifted him off his feet and 60 to 70ft away he was deposited in the road.”