A British Transport Police (BTP) officer who grabbed a teenage fare dodger by the throat and put her in a headlock has been found guilty of assault by beating.
CCTV footage shows Adrian Young, 48, violently restraining the 15-year-old girl by holding her in a headlock for 30 seconds.
In September of last year, PC Young was shown on camera pulling the girl back through the ticket barrier, gripping her throat, and throwing her against a machine at Camden Road Underground station.
Afterwards, he handcuffed and arrested the girl before de-arresting her at the scene.
A member of the public who witnessed the attack made a complaint, and the incident was referred to the IOPC.
The Crown Prosecution Service received a file of evidence from the IOPC, and today at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, PC Young was found guilty.
He will be sentenced on November 13.
At the end of the IOPC investigation, it found he should also face a gross misconduct hearing for allegedly breaching the police standards of professional behaviour.
To further the disciplinary process, they will collaborate with BTP.
Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan said: ‘I’d like to be absolutely clear that the actions of PC Young during this incident were appalling, demonstrating a completely unnecessary and unacceptable use of force against a child, which has seen him be convicted of assault today.
‘Police officers are rightly expected to maintain control of any situation, and by not doing so, PC Young has undermined public confidence in BTP and the high standards we hold our officers to every day.
‘We thank the IOPC for their investigation and will be looking to progress with internal disciplinary proceedings as soon as possible.’
IOPC Director Emily Barry said: ‘All police officers are trained to use force that is necessary, proportionate and reasonable in the circumstances. On this occasion, there was no lawful reason for the force used by PC Young, which could have resulted in serious injuries, particularly as he was dealing with a child who was considerably smaller than him.
‘The incident was witnessed by several members of the public who expressed concerns at the scene about the officer’s actions, with one of the witnesses making a complaint to BTP that ultimately led to us carrying out an independent investigation.
‘This shows that the public can have confidence in the police complaints system and that the IOPC will hold officers to account for their actions, with PC Young now convicted of a criminal offence.’
Police morale must be at an all-time low, and it appears that the lunatics are taking over the asylum.
The young girl was fare dodging, not robbing the Bank of England. It wasn’t the heist of the century.
In the UK, police personnel are typically not allowed to employ headlocks because they must be used in extreme circumstances that are appropriate for the threat being faced.
The use of force must be reasonable, and officers are trained to avoid ‘chokeholds’ or ‘stangle-holds’ because they are dangerous.
If used, it must be minimal, temporary, and monitored carefully to ensure the person’s airway and breathing are not obstructed.
There is a whole spectrum between ‘strangle a child’ and ‘appropriate force’. This was not ‘appropriate force.’
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 