A Bristol man has been arrested after attempting to assault a police officer during the downtown unrest. Jamie Easterbrook, 43, was captured on police body cameras during the Aug. 3 unrest aggressively attempting to reach a female officer who had repeatedly told the group of protesters to move away from the canine units.
Easterbrook, from South Bristol, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 16 August after pleading guilty to violent disorder in connection with his involvement in a violent confrontation between anti-immigration protesters, counter-protesters and riot police.
The court heard Easterbrook was “actively involved in the disturbances”. He provoked and behaved aggressively towards police officers and the behaviour of the group of which Easterbrook was a member had a significant impact on the public, it was said.
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In the footage released by Avon and Somerset Police, Easterbrook, wearing a striped T-shirt, can be seen being pushed back by a police officer who is telling the group to move so the police dog unit can arrive. The crowd gathered after he was pushed back and Easterbrook aggressively reached out to the female officer who had pushed him down. The group is again held back by police officers with riot shields.
Detective Chief Inspector Clement Goodwin said: “The behaviour of some people that day was totally unacceptable. It was not a lawful protest. Three people have now been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after admitting their involvement in the disgraceful scenes we saw that day and we continue to identify and arrest others who were also involved.
“We always work to enable peaceful protests, but if they cross the line into criminality, we will take action.
Easterbrook was sentenced Friday along with Zak Baker, Lisa Bishop and Joseph Bradford, who all pleaded guilty to violent disorder for their involvement in the violent disorder on August 3.
DCI Goodwin continued: “In total, 29 people have now been arrested, 15 have been charged and this number will continue to rise as the investigation progresses.”
Of the 29 people now arrested, 15 have already been charged and six of them have already been detained. One of the remaining 14 was released without further action. Almost all are charged with violent disorder and those convicted are usually sentenced to about two years in prison.
