By George Mills
Shocking footage has emerged of a North Wales Police officer putting a man in a headlock whilst punching him multiple times in the head during an arrest in Porthmadog, Gwynedd on Wednesday. In the video, a second officer can be seen handcuffing the 34-year-old man, whilst the cop in questions lays several blows to his head as he is forcibly restrained on the ground and unable to defend himself.
Bystanders recorded the incident, with footage now circulating on social media which has caused public outcry. After being hit repeatedly in the head by the police officer, the man in question was taken to hospital to be assessed before being moved into custody and later released on bail.
Speaking to voice.wales after seeing the footage, Wrecsam councillor Carrie Harper had this to say about it:
“The video of this incident is in circulation on social media and it’s undoubtedly disturbing to watch. Although we don’t know the wider context, it certainly appears to show an unnecessary and excessive use of violence by the officer against someone who is restrained and unable to defend themselves.
I understand the incident is currently being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and its clear serious questions need to be answered.”
It has also been reported that the officer in question has now been suspended whilst a full investigation is being conducted. The man seen to be arrested in the video has also been released on bail.
It is not common practice for cops to get suspended whilst an investigation is ongoing into an incident of this nature.
No officers were suspended when Leighton Jones, 30, died following police contact in the Pentwyn area of Cardiff in mid-June 2021, after a video surfaced showing four cops restraining him to the ground beforehand.
An inquiry into the Porthmadog incident has been launched by the IPOC to; “establish whether the level of force used during the arrest was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances”.
The IOPC director for Wales, David Ford, said: “Footage on social media capturing part of the interaction between police officers and the arrested man has, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern.
It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate the whole incident, in order to establish whether the level of force used during the arrest was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.”
The IOPC itself has however come under fire in recent years in Wales, notably for inadequate communication with the family of Mohamud Hassan, not even appointing a family liaison officer after the young man died after being arrested by Cardiff cops.
And as of 2019, 40% of senior Investigators employed by the IOPC were former police staff.
In February this year, voice.wales also reported that North Wales Police had been ‘under-recording its use of force,’ begging the question that without bystanders recording the Pothmadog incident, would it ever have come to light?
North Wales Police have also recently been under fire when it was revealed that former officer, PC John Kelham, harassed, made sexual remarks, and sent inappropriate sexual images to a vulnerable woman who’s assault case he was investigating. He has since been found guilty and barred from the police force.
In February, 27 cases of misconduct were investigated against 24 members of North Wales Police, for a barrage of offences including sexual misconduct, domestic abuse, and others, revealing a culture of unaccountability and abuse of power at the police force.
