British Transport Police officer has been sacked after striking handcuffed man detained under mental health act

2 Feb 2018 11:52 AM

A special constable accused of punching a handcuffed man detained under the Mental Health Act was dismissed at a gross misconduct hearing following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

SC Daniel Tiftik, who worked for British Transport Police (BTP), was found to have breached professional standards of behaviour by using excessive force, failing to exhibit appropriate authority, respect and courtesy and over breaches of honesty and integrity at a hearing which concluded on February 1.

The hearing, which opened on Monday 29 January, heard that BTP officers were called to South Hampstead railway station on 3 April 2017, after a man trespassed onto the tracks, and then called emergency services requesting assistance.

The officers, including SC Tiftik arrested and handcuffed the man and placed him in the rear of an ambulance.

While in the ambulance SC Tiftik struck the man in the stomach three times.

He later misrepresented the altercation during a debrief held shortly afterwards and lied about what had taken place.

The IOPC launched an investigation in April 2017 after the incident was referred by BTP when fellow officers reported concerns about SC Tiftik’s behaviour.

The investigation was completed in August 2017. In the investigator’s opinion, there was sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable tribunal properly directed, could find that SC Tiftik’s actions amount to grossmisconduct, and that a hearing should be convened.

Our final report was also referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in July to assess if SC Tiftik should be charged with a criminal offence. The CPS returned a decision to take no further action in August 2017.

IOPC Regional Director for London, Jonathan Green said: “SC Tiftik struck a man who was handcuffed and had been sectioned under the mental health act after requesting assistance from the emergency services. To compound this SC Tiftik then misrepresented what took place to his commanding officer. We entrust police officers with the power to use force in order to carry out their duties, but officers should only use force that is necessary, reasonable and proportionate.

“Our investigation concluded there was a case to answer over the level of force he used in the circumstances and we are pleased that the misconduct panel has agreed.”

A summary of our report will be published in due course.