Lancashire PC charged with common assault

3 Aug 2020 03:02 PM

A Lancashire Constabulary officer has been charged with assault following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

This follows an independent investigation into the arrest of a 34-year-old man in Accrington on 8 January 2020.

Footage of the arrest, which was shared on social media, showed the man being restrained by a number of officers. The matter was voluntarily referred to us on 13 January.

We referred our evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in June who made the decision to charge Police Constable (PC) Saul Hignett, aged 26, with (section 39) common assault.

He is due to appear before Manchester Magistrates Court on 4 August 2020.