A witness claimed she saw officers striking a man in the hospital corridor – but police have dismissed claims he was kneed in the head while being arrested for a serious assault.
Devon and Cornwall Police have dismissed claims an officer kneed a suspect in the head while a suspect was being arrested.
Footage of officers struggling with a man in a hospital corridor has been widely shared on social media – but police have strongly refuted any suggestion they used excess force on the man who was arrested for a serious assault.
PlymouthLive was sent the footage, taken in a Derriford Hospital corridor at around midnight on Monday [August 10] and into the early hours of Tuesday [August 11, 2020] with the witness claiming that officers had kneed the man “in the face whilst he was being held by two others”.
They added: “The man was causing a bit of commotion and resisting. But he was on crutches and was held by two other police officers. Myself and two other people witnessed it. They [brought] out a screen across after I managed to get the footage.”
The witness claimed there were “more police officers after” who attended the incident.
As a result of questions to Devon and Cornwall Police by PlymouthLive, a spokesperson said footage from the officers’ bodyworn video cameras had been reviewed by a senior officer and it painted a different picture than the one shown in the short clip by the member of the public.
The spokesperson said:
“We have viewed the officer’s body worn video footage of the entire incident with the full context of the situation.
“The officers have used official techniques in their attempt to safely restrain the individual and have acted proportionately in context with the situation.
“The video actually shows the officer has used an official technique to try and kick the male’s legs away – and not [a] knee to the head – in order to put him to the ground.
“A 25-year-old man from Plymouth was arrested on suspicion of GBH [grievous bodily harm] and is in police custody.”
A spokesperson for Derriford Hospital said the incident was entirely a police matter and thus it would inappropriate for them to offer any comment
Never trust a human when given power, fancy dress, or a badge for there ego & false sense of importance deluded ignorance makes them dangerous. Dont bother ever seeking there help as my 5 year old son was sexually assaulted by a 13 year old boy nothing was ever done told by the officer to drop my complaint 3 times no action what so ever was taken and that because the attacker had ADHD he had some get out of responsibility card? Devon & Cornwall and a complete disgrace… Only reason for there contempt I believe was to cut the crime numbers of sexually assaulted kids from our country.