Man injured while being detained - Cleveland Police, January 2018

At 5.45am on 13 January 2018, Cleveland Police was contacted in relation to a report of two men fighting at an address. Officers attended and spoke with the occupants. A man was instructed to leave and not to return.

The man walked away but continued to return while officers were still present. It was recorded that he was aggressive and argumentative to officers and refused to leave the area. He was then arrested to prevent a breach of the peace. It was recorded that he resisted arrest, so he was restrained and handcuffed to the rear. The man was placed into the rear cage of a police van for transportation to the custody suite.

After the man was removed from the cage on arrival, officers noticed an injury to the man’s left hand, which was bleeding. The nurse in custody advised that the man should be taken straight to A&E. In hospital it was identified that his left little finger had been “de-gloved” from the first joint down. It was later realised that the man had trapped his finger in the cage door of the police van.

Our investigators reviewed a number of clips of body-worn video footage including officers’ initial arrival at the address, the man being put into the back of a police van, the man at custody and at hospital. We obtained statements from the man, from the woman who called the police, and from the four officers who attended, as well as a personal safety trainer at Cleveland Police.

Evidence suggested that the man did not have the injury before going into the back of the police van, and that the injury was caused by his finger being trapped in the door. There was no evidence that this was caused deliberately by any officers present.

Based on the evidence available, we found no indication any police officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings or committed a criminal offence.

After reviewing our report the force agreed.