Police watchdog to review CCTV footage of arrest
CHANTELLE HEEDS
FOOTAGE showing a man being detained by officers is being investigated by the police watchdog.
CCTV footage of the arrest of a man in Accrington has been circulating on social media.
It was shared on Twitter by Ustadh Mohammad Quraishi - a ‘public speaker, presenter and activist’.
The video shows a man walking down the road, before three police cars pull up.
The man is restrained by four officers. A police dog can also be seen in the footage.
Lancashire Police said it ‘appreciates the concern that perceptions of the officer actions in this video have caused’.
The force said footage of the arrest will be reviewed by both its professional standards department and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The circumstances leading up to the arrest last Wednesday, January 9 have also been revealed.
In a statement, police said a car was allegedly stolen in Blackburn prior to the incident. A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “You may have seen video footage being circulated in the media of an incident that occurred in Accrington last week.
“The circumstances are that at around 11am on January 8, police received a report of a burglary at an address in Blackburn during which a Nissan Juke car was stolen.
“The car was later spotted by police in the Church area and pursued by officers to the Lonsdale Street area of Accrington where a stinger was deployed to bring the vehicle to a stop.
“This happened shortly before 2pm.
“A man got out of the car and was then detained by officers and his arrest is what is seen in the footage at which has been widely shared.
“We appreciate the concern that perceptions of the officer actions in this video have caused and we would like to reassure people that the incident is being fully reviewed by our Professional Standards Department.
“In the interests of openness and transparency we are also voluntarily referring the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”
Police said a man has now been charged in connection with the earlier incident.
Adeel Ashraf, 34, of Belfield Road, Accrington, has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking; and dangerous driving.