Officer disciplined over restraining of suspect who later passed out

PSNI officers have been told that certain restraint techniques could kill.

The warning comes after an investigation into an arrest where a man appeared to have “passed out” while he was taken into police custody.

The Police Ombudsman’s Office recommended that one officer be disciplined.

Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson said officers should be aware that certain restraint techniques could interfere with people’s ability to breathe, with potentially fatal consequences.

The man, who was struggling with officers after being arrested, was lying across the back seat of a police car when the incident happened in September 2018.

His hands had been cuffed behind his back and leg restraints fitted before he was placed into the police car to be taken from Londonderry to a custody suite in Coleraine. The officers involved had requested the use of a cell van, but none was available.

The Police Ombudsman investigator who dealt with the case said the man continued to struggle but quickly became less active and could be heard telling police that he couldn’t breathe.

The investigator said: “He then began to make gurgling noises, and police body-worn video footage shows him becoming quiet and motionless. Thankfully police stopped the car and checked on his condition.

“When he came round he almost immediately became aggressive again. Officers restrained him, then placed him into a more appropriate upright position between two officers and continued their journey to the custody suite.”

Ms Anderson said the incident showed the potentially fatal risks associated with a phenomenon known as “positional asphyxia”.

The officer who had been in the rear of the police car could not recall the man having been lying face down for a long period of time.

However, the Police Ombudsman said the officer should have been more alert. She recommended that he be disciplined.

Superintendent Jon Burrows said: “PSNI acknowledge the findings of the Police Ombudsman, and the officer in question has been given advice and feedback by his line management.

“I want to reassure the public PSNI officers receive training and guidance on restraint-related risks as part of mandatory training.”