Lawyer seeks apology over man’s arrest
Police brutality caught on video
THE lawyer for a black man who was filmed being pinned down by a London police officer who appeared to kneel on his neck said yesterday that the force should apologise to his client, and claimed the incident “mirrors” the death of George Floyd in the US.
Marcus Coutain was detained on a London street on Thursday and charged with carrying a knife. Video filmed by a bystander shows two officers holding the handcuffed man on the ground, and one appears to be applying pressure to the man’s neck with his knee. The officer’s hand is on the head of the man, who can be heard shouting “Get off me… get off my neck.“
During a hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, Coutain’s lawyer Timur Rusten said the incident “mirrors almost identically what happened to George Floyd”, a black man who died May 25 at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Coustain, 48, indicated in court that he planned to plead not guilty. The lawyer said Coutain was carrying a knife to fix his bicycle. Another hearing was set for August 17.
Police in many cities are under increased scrutiny since Floyd’s death. A police officer who held his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes, Derek Chauvin, was charged with second-degree murder.
Rusten said outside court that prosecutors should drop the charge and apologise to Coutain. He said the police had used “what I would regard as excessive force”.
Coutain suffered “fortunately minimal” injuries to his wrists and neck.
London’s Metropolitan Police force says one officer has been suspended and another placed on restricted duties while the arrest is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Steve House said the footage was “extremely disturbing”.
“Some of the techniques used cause me great concern,’’ House said. “They are not taught in police training.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan raised questions about what happened with senior officers.
“I welcome the fact the incident has been reviewed quickly by the Met and it’s right that they have referred it to the IOPC,’’ Khan said. “I look forward to a swift and thorough independent investigation, with all decisions made public.
Meanwhile, in France, thousands of protesters marched through a Paris suburb yesterday to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of Adama Traoré in police custody.
Traoré’s case has mobilised anger against police brutality and racial injustice in France.
He died on his 24th birthday in July 2016. Investigative efforts into the case have been revived in recent weeks.