Police contact examined after reports of domestic abuse led to altercation – Leicestershire Police, March 2025

A member of the public called 999 to report shouting and screaming from inside a flat. They believed that a man was attacking a woman inside.

Five police officers arrived at the flat. They tried to gain entry for 15 minutes but could not enter as the people inside would not open the front door. The officers had noticed a man acting oddly through the window, and he seemed reluctant to open the door.

The woman did open the door. Next to her was a man with blood on his hands. Officers immediately noticed this and entered the flat to protect the woman and arrest the man.

The man tried to escape out of the window in the bedroom. One of the officers tried to arrest him and the man began to punch, bite and strangle all the officers.

Officers restrained the man on the bed, but he kept biting officers. He was eventually restrained on the bedroom floor and Tasered. He fell unconscious but regained consciousness a minute later. Paramedics arrived but the man acted violently towards them.

He was transported to hospital for medical treatment under police custody, and several officers went with him. He continued to act verbally and physically aggressively towards hospital staff, officers and security guards. One of the officers used a spit hood as the man was biting officers. This is a tightly meshed sack-like hood used to prevent a person from spitting or biting.

The man was later charged with assault against emergency workers and for public order offences.

We received a conduct referral from the force and decided to independently investigate the actions and decisions of the officers involved in the man’s arrest. We examined whether the force used by the officers was necessary, proportionate and reasonable in the circumstances, and whether the officers’ decisions and actions were made in line with legislation, national and local policies, and procedures and guidelines.

We concluded there was no indication that a person serving with the police committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner to justify disciplinary proceedings.

All five officers acted in an appropriate, necessary and proportionate manner. They exercised legislation giving them the power to enter and search the flat, and arrest the man, appropriately. Their use of force was reasonable, and the use of Taser and a spit hood was in-line with national and local policy and guidance. Officers also gave appropriate medical care.

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.

We did not identify any organisational learning in this case.