Former Avon and Somerset officers would have been dismissed for using excessive force and discriminating against a vulnerable woman

Two former Avon and Somerset Police officers who used excessive force during the arrest and detention of a woman, would have been sacked for gross misconduct had they not already resigned. This decision followed an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

A disciplinary hearing, led by an independent, legally qualified chair, today (16 August) imposed the dismissal sanctions on officers A and B. Both will now be placed on the police barred list. 

The decision to grant the officers anonymity was made by the legally qualified chair.

Following a referral from the force in December 2021, we decided to investigate after concerns were raised about the treatment of the woman during her arrest, search, and transport to custody.

We established that on 4 December 2021, the officers attended a call about a woman who was experiencing a mental health crisis near the Clifton Suspension Bridge, in Bristol. The woman was intoxicated and the officers arrested her for causing a public nuisance. The officers’ body worn video showed that the woman was passive and lying on the floor. She was handcuffed and there were no attempts by the officers to communicate with her, despite the woman clearly being distressed. Officer A sat her up by holding her by the hair. They also stood on the woman’s arm whilst they put gloves on, in order to handcuff the woman because, the officer could be heard saying, they did not want to touch her hands.

Once the woman had been handcuffed, the officers’ body worn video footage showed how they pulled the woman to her feet and walked her over to the police car. During a search of the woman, she was pushed up against the police car and held by her hair and throat by Officer A. The officers lifted the woman into the back of the police car. An altercation then took place in the back of the vehicle, with Officer A saying to the woman “Are you going to be a dickhead?” Officer A could also be heard saying “If that was an attempt to spit at me…you’re going to have to try a bit harder aren’t you.” A spit hood was applied to the woman by Officer B. They could be heard saying, “Don’t you dare f****** do that.” Officer B then went on to say, “Do not kick me, right you’re being PAVA’d.” Officer B could be seen raising the spit hood and spraying the woman in the face at very close range. 

The woman was left in the car and she could be heard moaning in pain. The officers subsequently decided to let her out of the police car. The woman was still handcuffed with both arms behind her back and then fell to the ground, out of the vehicle. The two officers could be seen laughing at her as she lay on the floor, crying. The woman was then taken to custody and detained. During the detention process, Officer B was captured on body worn video telling a colleague “I told you I was going to PAVA someone”.

As part of our investigation, we obtained and reviewed the available body worn video footage, incident logs, relevant policies and guidance, and collated witness accounts. We also interviewed both officers. 

When we completed our investigation in December 2022, we found that both officers may have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to the force used during the woman’s arrest, over whether they acted with self-control, tolerance and respect and if they discriminated against her due to her mental health condition. The force agreed and arranged the hearing. We are advised that Officer A resigned in November 2022 and Officer B resigned in August last year.

IOPC regional director, David Ford said: “This was an appalling case of two police officers abusing their position to demean and dehumanise a woman who was really in need of empathy and compassion. Their tone and attitude during the whole incident was degrading, rude and disrespectful. The officers overall lack of professional engagement with the vulnerable woman was inappropriate. 

“Police officers are entitled to use force. However, it must be reasonable and proportionate to the circumstances faced. Excessive force was used by both officers at various stages of their interactions with the woman. The use of incapacitant spray, in particular, was unnecessary and disproportionate to the threat posed. Such behaviour has the potential to seriously undermine public confidence in policing. Following the outcome, these two former officers are now, rightly, barred from working for any police force again.”