Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC - formerly IPCC)
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Kent Police officer cleared of misconduct after striking man in custody
A Kent Police sergeant has been cleared of misconduct after striking a man who has being held in a police cell.
PS Paul Coughlan was found to have used a proportionate and necessary level of force by a disciplinary panel on Monday 3 December 2018 following an IOPC investigation.
The incident was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after a man who had been held in police custody on 29 March 2017 complained he had been struck by PS Coughlan.
Our investigation ended in July 2017 and concluded that a tribunal, suitably directed, could find PS Coughlan’s actions constitute gross misconduct. Kent Police agreed with this conclusion.
We also passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and he was prosecuted for assault. He was originally convicted of common assault but the conviction was overturned on appeal in August 2018.
Original article link: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/news/kent-police-officer-cleared-misconduct-after-striking-man-custody
