Welsh police officer who was filmed putting suspect in chokehold and raining punches on his head faces investigation into arrest
- Suspect is seen being led to a police van afterwards with eye and face swollen
- North Wales’ Police and Crime Commissioner described incident as ‘concerning’
A video showing a police officer raining punches to the head of a suspect while he is lying on the ground caused shock and outrage today.
The clip, filmed in a front garden in Porthmadog, North Wales, shows the detained man being hit nine times.
In a second clip he is seen with a bloodied face as he is placed in a custody van.
Videos showing the arrest last night have been viewed almost 500,000 times, prompting a Conservative politician to condemn the incident as ‘police brutality’.
Today North Wales Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said she is taking the incident ‘very seriously’, with the Independent Office for Police Conduct now involved.
This is the shocking moment a police officer grabs a suspect in a chokehold and rains punches on his head
The first 13-second clip shows two officers – one male and one female – sitting on top of a dark-clad suspect who is lying chest-down on a lawn.
Initially the male officer has his forearm around the man’s neck, but he then swings his fist nine times in quick succession into the side of his head.
A second clip lasting seven seconds shows the bloodied suspect looking shaky being escorted into a police van.
Sharing it on social media, a Twitter user called for the officer who threw the punches to be sacked, saying: ‘If this was me or one of the boys [they would get] five years in jail.’
Others commented that the suspect did not appear to be resisting arrest, while some users said it was unclear from the brief footage what had led up to the incident.
Alerted to the clip, Gareth Davies, Conservative Senedd member for the Vale of Clwyd, branded it ‘police brutality’.
In a tweet copying in the chief constable and Home Secretary Suella Braverman he added: ‘What are you doing? Surely we’re better than this?’
Mr Davies added that he was ‘not sure on the circumstances leading up to it’.
In response, Ms Blakeman wrote: ‘I’ve seen the footage this morning and I take this very seriously.
‘There is an investigation ongoing so we can understand the incident fully and we have referred the matter to the IOPC.’
A separate clip shows him being led to a police van with his eye and face visibly swollen
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin said: ‘The video that is circulating of the arrest of a male in Porthmadog is concerning.
‘I have discussed this incident with the Chief Constable this morning and she has confirmed the matter is rightly being investigated by North Wales Police, who will be issuing further updates in due course.
‘As Police and Crime Commissioner, I take such incidents seriously and will work with the police and other bodies to understand the circumstances behind the footage and act accordingly when the facts are established.’
In an update on Facebook last night, the force posted: ‘We are aware of videos circulating on social media which show North Wales Police officers arresting a 34-year-old male from the Porthmadog area earlier today.
‘The suspect was subsequently conveyed to hospital and assessed by medical staff before his transfer into police custody.
‘This matter is currently being fully investigated by North Wales Police and further updates will be issued in due course.’
Beneath the message it stated : ‘North Wales Police limited who can comment on this post.’
