Use of force on a detainee - Metropolitan Police Service, 1 December 2018

On 1 December 2018, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers attended a block of flats and a local supermarket following calls to the MPS control room. Officers arrested a man and evidence obtained in our investigation indicated that a MPS officer punched the man four times in the head following his arrest.

Our investigation revealed evidence that the man had a mental health disorder at the time of the interaction with the police and that at least two of the strikes took place whilst the man was on the ground, restrained by two other officers.

During the investigation, investigators interviewed the officers, and examined CCTV and body-worn videos.

On 10 May 2019 we sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service CPS for them to consider a possible charge of Common Assault, contrary to section 39 Criminal Justice Act 1988, in relation to one officer’s use of force against the man.

The CPS decided to charge the officer with common assault. Following a one-day trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 20 September 2019 the officer was found not guilty.

We shared a copy of our report with the MPS and recommended that the officer had a case to answer for misconduct, but that disciplinary action would not be justified as the alleged conduct can be addressed appropriately through management action.

The MPS agreed with our recommendation and the officer received management action to address the interaction with the man prior to the use of force and the level of force the officer went on to use.