Police deny misconduct over filmed 'brutal' arrest

A police force says it has not identified any misconduct during an arrest of a student who claims he was repeatedly assaulted by an officer.

Northamptonshire Police said the strikes used by the officer were "approved and trained tactics" in response to the student's refusal to comply.

Footage of the arrest filmed by a friend of the student appeared to show him being hit several times.

The student's solicitor has rejected the results of the police investigation.

As initially reported by The Shade Borough, the student known as Samuel, 22, had been approached by a man in a hoodie after giving change to a homeless person in Northampton.

Samuel said he had started running but stopped when he realised the man was a police officer.

Samuel alleged that he had fallen to the ground, where he was punched several times before being taken to a police station and searched.

He said: "I couldn't believe I was the victim of such brutality from a police officer."

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said the force had made a voluntary referral in relation to the incident to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC referred the case back to Northamptonshire Police's Professional Standards Department.

The department looked at footage from police body-worn video (BMV) cameras, the officer's report and control room logs.

The force said knife crime was thought to take place in the Barrack Road area, where the arrest was made, which "meant that there was the possibility of the suspect potentially concealing a knife".

The spokeswoman added: "The BWV footage showed that the officer clearly identified himself as a police officer before the man ran off.

“Once the man was caught, he did not initially follow the instruction to remove his hands from under his chest, resulting in three strikes to his back and right shoulder, which ceased as soon as he complied.

“The strikes used are approved and trained tactics to reinforce an instruction and were deemed to be proportionate in this case."

The force said the suspect was taken to the police station for a "lawful, proportionate and respectful enhanced search".

It invited Samuel to discuss his complaint and examine all the BWV footage.

Samuel's solicitor, Miriam Altaf, said "My client did not hear this officer identify himself.

"There was no reason to strike my client who was face down on the floor. We maintain this was excessive force and the officer was repeatedly punching [Samuel] in the head and ribs throughout.

"To use punches for instructions to be followed is brutal and excessive force, we do not accept this was reasonable and deem this is a sustained assault.

Ms Altaf said her client was denied access to a solicitor prior to the strip search.

She added: "It is outrageous to suggest [Samuel] was carrying a knife, there was no reason whatsoever to presume this and there has never been any mention of this until now.

"We await copies of all body worn video and a response to our complaint from Northamptonshire Police before we accept any of the comments from the police."

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