Get off my neck
Suspect’s cry as Met policeman pins him down in chilling echo of US death
A POLICEMAN has been suspended after shocking footage emerged of him kneeling on a black suspect who pleaded: ‘Get off my neck.’
The incident has raised fears that the heavy-handed police tactics which led to the death of George Floyd in America are also being used in Britain.
Scotland Yard deputy commissioner, Sir Steve House, said the techniques used during the arrest were not taught in police training and he was deeply concerned by the ‘extremely disturbing’ footage.
Officers arrested Marcus Coutain, 45, on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon in Islington, north London, at 6.30pm on Thursday.
The clip – filmed by a member of the public as a crowd gathered – shows one of the policemen using his knee to control Coutain, who shouts: ‘I haven’t done anything wrong, get off my neck.’ One officer asks him: ‘Are you going to behave yourself?’ He then tells him to ‘stay down’.
The College of Policing, which sets the standards for training, said recruits were told to stay away from a suspect’s neck and throat due to potential dangers.
Sir Steve said: ‘The video footage that I have seen today and is circulating on social media is extremely disturbing. I understand that many viewing the footage will share my concern.
‘ The man involved was arrested, taken to a police station and has now been seen by a police doctor. Some of the techniques used cause me great concern – they are not taught in police training. We have referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. One officer has been suspended and another officer has been removed from operational duty, but not suspended at this time.’
Former Scotland Yard chief superintendent Dr Victor Olisa also criticised the officer who knelt on the man’s neck both for using the dangerous method and for leaving his colleague to struggle with the suspect as he stood up to address the growing crowd.
The scene has disturbing echoes of the death of Mr Floyd at the hands of police in America. The 46-year-old died after being arrested by officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25.
Footage of the arrest showed white policeman Derek Chauvin, who has since been charged with murder, kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck while the suspect pleaded: ‘I can’t breathe.’
Student Afam Izuogu 17, who filmed Thursday’s arrest, said he feared the man would be badly hurt as he pleaded with the officer to take his knee from his neck.
He added: ‘ He wasn’t really fighting the officers at all, just trying to get one of them off his neck. You never know, but it makes you wonder if it had been a white man would he have been pushed to the ground and had an officer kneel on his neck?’
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: ‘I’m deeply concerned about this distressing incident and we have raised this with senior officers at the Met Police as a matter of urgency.’
Coutain was last night charged with possession of a knife in a public place. He had been wanted on recall to prison and will appear today at Highbury Magistrates’ Court.
‘I haven’t done anything wrong’