Complaints regarding use of force during arrest - Hertfordshire Constabulary, October 2017

In June 2017 officers from Hertfordshire Constabulary attended a call regarding a dispute between neighbours. This resulted in a woman being arrested at her home. During the arrest, officers used force to restrain the woman, including incapacitant spray and the application of handcuffs. In October 2017 the woman made a complaint concerning the forced used during her arrest.

During the investigation, investigators interviewed the two attending officers and obtained a statement from the woman. They also obtained and viewed body-worn video (BWV) footage of the incident.

The BWV footage shows that officers attempted to speak to the woman at her front door but she declined to speak to them and attempted to close the door. Officers entered the property to effect the arrest. BWV footage shows the woman refusing to be handcuffed and offering verbal and physical resistance to the officers. It appears that she sustained injuries in the process, namely reddening to her arm around the area where the handcuff was applied.

One of the officers explained in interview that he deployed his incapacitant spray after all other uses of force and verbal communications had failed. The officer also stated that the woman had shown episodes of aggressive resistance that had resulted in him being kicked, and the woman being arrested for assaulting a police constable.

Based on the evidence available, at the end of the investigation, we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, or had committed a criminal offence.

After reviewing our report, the force agreed.