Police to probe arrest of woman in lockdown demo
THE police’s professional standards branch are to examine the arrest of a woman after a video of her being detained was widely shared on social media.
A clip posted onto YouTube over the weekend showed the woman, in her 60s, being led away by officers in Wythenshawe town centre as a number of people watched on, including several who loudly protest.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say the 69-year-old was held on Saturday as officers wanted to speak about her about a previous allegation of criminal damage relating to ‘anti-coronavirus literature being placed around the area.’
They allege she then failed to give her details and began ‘resisting arrest.’ Speaking to the M.E.N. the woman, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Janie, says the arrest stemmed from a row over anti-lockdown stickers being placed around the town centre.
She has accused officers of being ‘brutal’ and claims she was injured during the incident.
At the start of the clip she can be heard screaming as one male and one female uniformed officer try to detain her over a bench in Wythenshawe’s Civic Centre.
She can be heard to bellow ‘help me’ and ‘you’re breaking my arm’ as one of the officers tries to put her in handcuffs and several by-standers shout in protest.
Speaking to the M.E.N. about the arrest, Janie said she had on an earlier occasion placed stickers about the pandemic and the lockdown on bins and billboards in the civic centre but had stopped when she was told she was not allowed to do this by centre security.
“I obviously haven’t got the flexibility for my arms to be that close together behind my back, which is why I shouting that they were hurting me,” she said.
She claims she spent around seven hours in a cell at the police station before eventually being released without charge.
“My right arm and both my hands were swollen. I think it really hit me today as I’ve had quite a teary day.
“I can’t believe how brutal they were. Surely they should be out there catching real criminals.
“I’ve lost all respect for the police now.”
GMP said the incident had been reviewed by a senior officer and had been referred to the force’s professional standards branch ‘for further consideration.’