A West Mercia Police officer’s use of force was reasonable and proportionate during the arrest of a man in Hereford in 2016, an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation has found.
The independent investigation considered the circumstances of the man’s arrest, including the use of force by police, during an incident at 3.30am on November 27th, 2016 outside a food outlet on Commercial Road.
The investigation examined all available social media and CCTV footage and gathered a number of witness statements. At the conclusion, in the investigator’s opinion, the officer had no case to answer for misconduct, and the arrest and use of force including the strikes used were necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “The IPCC’s report shines a light on the sort of dangerous or volatile situations our police officers often find themselves caught up in as they try to keep us all safe. They are ordinary people doing an extraordinary job which routinely requires exceptional bravery and professionalism.”
“However, given that this incident happened 10 months ago, I am concerned about the length of time it has taken to provide this conclusion. It seems excessively long for all the parties involved to achieve clarity and closure.”