Nottinghamshire Police officer dismissed over use of force on child

A Nottinghamshire Police officer has been dismissed after allegations of using excessive force during the detention a 16-year-old girl inside a police vehicle were proven.

At the end of a two-day misconduct hearing held at Nottinghamshire Police’s headquarters, a panel, led by a legally qualified chair (LQC) found PC Kevin Markowski, aged 47, had breached policing standards of professional behaviour including the use of force and discreditable conduct.

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “While there are many occasions when force is required, police officers are entrusted to use it only if it is necessary, reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.

"The evidence we gathered raised serious concerns about the actions of PC Markowski and the panel clearly took the view that the officer, whose role involves ensuring the welfare of detainees, went beyond what was necessary to ensure control of the child.

“In our view the officer did not allow the girl opportunity to give her side of the story and made a swift decision to detain her which escalated the situation. His actions were not in line with police officer safety training. The level of force used did not appear proportionate to the risk posed by the girl or to the severity of the potential offence.”

The girl was detained for a breach of the peace after she was involved in a verbal altercation in the street in Arnold on 24 August 2022. She was placed in the back of the police vehicle and later handcuffed. Body worn video (BWV) showed that PC Markowski, who was with another officer, had his hands on her neck or upper chest area on two occasions. The girl later complained she had been strangled and the officer said he had removed his hands after she said he was choking her and that she could not breathe. A member of the public who witnessed the incident also made a complaint about the officer’s actions. 

Our four-month investigation followed Nottinghamshire Police’s referral of a complaint from the girl and concluded that PC Markowski had a case to answer for gross misconduct over his use of force and other alleged breaches of policing standards of professional behaviour.

During our investigation we analysed the available BWV and CCTV footage, interviewed the girl and the officers involved and obtained statements from several witnesses.