Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC - formerly IPCC)
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Excessive force allegation against Nottinghamshire Police officer found not proven by disciplinary panel

An allegation of excessive force by a Nottinghamshire Police officer has been found not proven by a police disciplinary panel yesterday (Wednesday) following a gross misconduct hearing organised by the force.

The panel found PC Matthew Thompson’s use of force on a man during an incident in Caxton Road, Sherwood, Nottingham on 13 July 2018 was not unjustified or excessive.

PC Thompson had arrested a man on suspicion of assault and after handcuffing him placed him in the back of his patrol car. When the man refused to hand over a mobile phone there was a struggle which ended when the officer dragged him out of the car by his hair. The man fell to the ground, banging his head, and later made a complaint about the officer’s use of force.

The IOPC began an investigation into the incident following a referral from Nottinghamshire Police in August 2018.

We referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which charged PC Thompson with assault. He was convicted by magistrates in April 2019 but subsequently sought leave to appeal, and the conviction was overturned last September.

 IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said:

“Our investigation was completed in June 2019 and concluded that PC Thompson had a case to answer for gross misconduct over his use of force during the incident.

“Following conviction, the force initially accepted but then declined to organise a misconduct hearing when the conviction was overturned. However, taking into account the lower threshold for disciplinary proceedings, we believed it was important for public confidence that the allegation should go to a misconduct hearing and directed the force to do so. In our opinion a properly directed tribunal may have found that PC Thompson had breached professional standards, and ultimately that was a decision for the independently-chaired panel. The panel has now determined the use of force was proportionate in the circumstances.”

 

Channel website: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/

Original article link: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/news/excessive-force-allegation-against-nottinghamshire-police-officer-found-not-proven-disciplinary

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