A former Merseyside Police officer punched a mentally ill man in hospital because he "could not be bothered to restrain him".
Wirral based response officer PC Sam Kane entered a room in Arrowe Park Hospital, Birkenhead, on July 22 last year and "pushed and punched" the man "in order to stun him and gain compliance". The man had been taken to hospital after being detained under the Mental Health Act.
An investigation was launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and disciplinary proceedings were launched by Merseyside Police, resulting in a two day disciplinary hearing this week. Kane, however, resigned in May.
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The disciplinary panel concluded that Kane had used "disproportionate and unnecessary force" on the man, and would have been sacked for gross misconduct had he not quit. The finding means he will be added to the College of Policing Barred List, banning him from working in any policing role in the country.
An IOPC spokesman said after restraining the man and handcuffing him, CCTV footage shows Kane exiting the room with a hand injury.
He later informed his sergeant that he had broken his knuckle on his right hand and returned to the police station that evening with his hand in a sling and his fingers taped together. A statement obtained from another officer described how PC Kane had told him his arm was in a sling because he "couldn’t be bothered to restrain him anymore so I punched him to the face two times to get it over with".
Kane had claimed the man had been standing with his "fists clenched" when he entered the room. However in an interview with IOPC investigators, where he was shown the video footage of the incident, Kane accepted the man was in fact stood with his arms by his side and his fists were not clenched.
The officer claimed he could not recall how many times punches were thrown, but the man was heard on body worn camera footage stating he had been punched three times. An officer’s description of the injuries on the man noted he had three separate marks on his eyebrow, and the back and top of his head
The IOPC said its investigators passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, who decided not to charge the officer with a criminal offence. IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “Police use of force is an area of serious concern for our communities and we recognise the potential for incidents like this to damage public confidence in the police.
"Police officers may only use force when it is necessary, proportionate and reasonable in the circumstances but following our independent investigation, we found a case to answer on the basis that the force used exceeded what was required in the circumstances.
"The outcome sends a clear message that this use of force has no part in policing and he will now be barred from working for the police in future."
Chief Superintendent Jennifer Wilson, Head of the Merseyside Police's Professional Standards Department, said: "I hope that the result of the hearing sends a clear message that we simply will not tolerate this type of behaviour from our officers and staff and they will be dealt with a robust and timely fashion.
"The public quite rightly have high expectations of our officers and we seek to uphold that and ensure that they meet those expectations. Sadly, on a minority of occasions, when they fall short we will take swift and effective action to ensure that we retain the public’s confidence in the force.
“The unacceptable action of individuals will not be allowed to damage the good name built up by the vast majority of our officers who do an exemplary job and work day in, day out to ensure that our all of our communities are protected.
“Like all emergency services, we face people of varying needs on a daily basis and together with our partners, we remain committed to caring for and supporting all members of our communities whenever they may need it."
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