Police “used unnecessary force on a vulnerable woman and laughed at her distress” | Bristol Live

Two police officers allegedly used “unnecessary force” on a woman in distress they arrested for trying to jump from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a police misconduct panel has heard. One of the officers used Pava artificial pepper spray on the woman in the back of the police car after her colleague reached up by the victim’s arm and grabbed her by the hair and neck during the arrest, the hearing was told.

The pair “laughed at her distress”, made fun of her and were sarcastic, condescending or antagonistic, it said. Both officers, who have since resigned from Avon & Somerset Police, deny gross misconduct, although they admit wrongdoing.

Advocate Alan Jenkins, representing the force, told the opening day of the hearing on Monday, June 17: “The two officers were called to a young lady in distress. Their treatment of this woman was appalling. They treated her in a way. that was brutal.

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“They breached a whole range of standards of professional conduct and their actions constitute serious misconduct.” He said the two police officers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were called to the bridge after 1am on December 4, 2021, after the woman, Miss A, who had been drinking and was intoxicated, tried to he climbs over the wall and jumps and was stopped by the bridge attendants.

Mr Jenkins said she was well known to police and had mental health issues, including previous arrests involving violence. He said there was a “tactical force plan” for officers who had dealings with her to follow, such as contacting her mother and considering using emergency police powers to take her to safety , but none of the officers did so.

Mr Jenkins said officers cuffed her hands behind her back and PC A stood on her arm. He said the officer grabbed the woman by her hair and then her neck as they took her into the police car.

Counsel said Miss A slid down the side of the car and into the gutter where she deliberately hit her head on the ground three times, but they failed to check or inquire if she was injured. PC B put a “bonnet” over the victim’s head in the back of the vehicle, then briefly removed her and used Pava spray on her, Mr Jenkins said.

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He said they pulled the woman out of the car and she landed hard on the ground, before placing her on her back in the vehicle, holding her legs by pulling back the front passenger seat and then taking her to Patchway Police Station, where she was arrested. . Mr Jenkins said the officers were “rude and dismissive” and “sarcastic, condescending or antagonistic, laughing at her or making fun of her”.

He said: “They had no compassion and no consideration for her mental health issues.” Mr Jenkins said the officers used more force than was necessary, handcuffing her when it was not necessary, standing on her arm, pulling Miss A from the car and pulling on her arms when they were handcuffed.

He said the two PCs failed to act with self-control or tolerance or to treat the woman with respect or courtesy. “They discriminated against Miss A by failing to make any adjustments for her mental health issues, laughing at her suffering and making fun of her,” he said.

Officers’ body-worn video footage was played on the board which Mr Jenkins said showed one of the officers telling a colleague: “I told you I was going to thrash somebody”. The barrister said: “It would be highly inappropriate for an officer to say ‘I was planning to hit someone today’ as if he had set a target. This is a rather chilling reference to PC B’s approach to policing.”

The hearing continues on Tuesday.