Get off my neck, black man shouts in ‘distressing’ arrest
Police watchdog investigating after video footage is shared
Scotland Yard has referred itself to the police watchdog to investigate footage of two officers who were seen forcefully holding a man on the ground as he shouted at them to “get off my neck”.
A video posted on social media on Thursday evening showed two Metropolitan Police officers holding down a black man in handcuffs on the pavement.
The force said it was called to a fight in the borough of Islington on Thursday evening. They arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon.
At the start of the clip, one of the officers appears to be using his knee to lean on the suspect’s neck, with one hand on his head. The suspect can be heard shouting: “Get off me… get off my neck, I ain’t done nothing wrong, get off my neck.”
The same officer is heard asking the man on the ground: “Are you going to behave yourself?” He tells the suspect to “stay down”.
The officer then stands up and instructs a small crowd of people gathering to witness the scene to “move back”. The second officer attempts to keep the suspect lying on the ground but eventually lets him sit up while still cuffed.
The video was shared by the sibling of one of the witnesses, who filmed the incident. They said in a tweet: “Absolutely disgusting, my sister is in this video witnessing police brutality and them kneeling on this black man’s neck. He is clearly not a threat and is in cuffs.”
The man detained and arrested at the scene remains in police custody as inquiries continue, Scotland Yard said.
The video comes in the wake of worldwide protests against systematic racism and police brutality, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the US in May. Floyd died following an arrest in which a police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. Footage of the arrest showed him gasping for air and crying “I can’t breathe”.
The Metropolitan Police acknowledged footage of the Islington arrest “looks very concerning”.
“We are aware of a video showing part of this wider incident where two officers have detained the man on the ground and appreciate this looks very concerning,” said the force in a statement. “This footage has been viewed, along with body-worn footage from the officers who attended. Both officers involved have also provided statements.
“The officers’ initial interaction with the man and the events that led to him being detained have also been analysed. Our officers carry out their duty on a daily basis across London in often difficult circumstances. Where force is used, officers must be able to justify this as lawful, proportionate and necessary.
“Our officers understand that their actions will be scrutinised as they go about their work and that the public have the right to hold them to account where appropriate. On this occasion, we have decided to refer this incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”
London mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the Met’s referral of the incident to the IOPC, calling it “distressing”.
“I look forward to a swift and thorough independent investigation, with all decisions made public,” he said in a tweet. “It’s crucial our police service continues to earn the trust of the communities it serves.”