Allegations of use of excessive force - West Midlands Police, September 2017

On 8 September 2017, a West Midlands Police custody sergeant used force on a male detainee while he was in custody. The man had become verbally aggressive to colleagues and the custody sergeant used a push and a knee strike before taking the man to the floor. He then brought the man’s arms behind his back and, in so doing, the man sustained a dislocated elbow, which required him to be taken to hospital.

During the investigation, investigators interviewed the officer, the detainee and a number of witnesses who had been in the custody area at the time. We obtained CCTV evidence from the custody suite. There was an indication that the officer may have used unreasonable force and we therefore interviewed him under criminal caution.

At the end of the investigation, we found that, while the officer’s belief that there was a threat of immediate violence from the detainee was mistaken, this was a reasonable mistake to have made in the circumstances and, therefore, the force used was reasonable.

We found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

After reviewing our report, West Midlands Police agreed.