Police officer who tasered race relations adviser in face used 'unreasonable' force, misconduct hearing told

Claire Boddie says she mistook 65-year-old Judah Adunbi for a wanted man

Judah Adunbi, a police race relations adviser who was tasered in the face by one of the force's own officers, told the court he had frequently been mistaken for a suspect (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)

A police officer who tasered her force’s race relations adviser in the face after mistaking him for a wanted man used “unreasonable” force, a misconduct hearing has heard.

Acting sergeant Claire Boddie claims she believed 65-year-old Judah Adunbi was a threat when she discharged the weapon in Bristol in January last year.

A misconduct hearing at Avon and Somerset Police’s headquarters in Portishead was told that she and a colleague mistook Mr Adunbi for wanted man Royston McCalla when they spotted him walking with his dog.

“This case starts off with an incident of mistaken identity,” said George Thomas, presenting the case against Ms Boddie.

“It escalated from that to the point at which PC Boddie used a Taser on Mr Adunbi. One of the barbs of the Taser struck Mr Adunbi in the face, causing a minor injury to his chin.”

Ms Boddie, 47, was cleared of unlawfully discharging a taser and assault by beating at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court in May.

During the trial, Ms Boddie – regarded as a well-trained officer with more than 20 years’ experience of frontline policing – said she felt the use of force was reasonable in self-defence, to defend her fellow officer PC Darren Weston, and in order to make an arrest.

She said she was acting in accordance with her training and the force she used on Mr Adunbi was lawful, claiming he posed a threat as he had keys in his hand and was “using violence to escape”.

A judge previously found PC Claire Boddie not guilty of assault by beating (PA)

Footage taken from bodycams worn by Ms Boddie and PC Weston showed the officers repeatedly asking Mr Adunbi to identify himself, with the community elder replying: “I'm not telling you my name. I have done nothing wrong.”

He is heard shouting: “Why you coming to torment me? Go f*** off about your business and don't follow me. Stop, stop, if you put your hand on me I'm gonna f*** you up.

"I'm not threatening you. I'm telling you if you put arms on me I'm going to defend myself. This is not the first time you have done this."

In separate mobile phone footage, a neighbour is heard telling the officers: "He is just trying to get into his house. Leave him alone."

Mr Thomas said Mr Adunbi, who had previously been stopped by police officers in the belief he was Mr McCalla, was under ”no obligation“ to provide officers with his identity.

"It is apparent from the footage that angry though he is, Mr Adunbi is indignant that he has been stopped," he added.

Footage showed Ms Boddie drawing her taser at Mr Adunbi and used it to put a "red dot" on him, before putting it away.

There was a scuffle after Mr Adunbi used his keys to open his gate and Ms Boddie discharged her taser in what Mr Thomas described as an "unnecessary, unreasonable or disproportionate use of force in the circumstances".

He said there was a "three second window" between Ms Boddie claiming she had seen Mr Adunbi punch PC Weston and her discharging the taser.

"It doesn't appear that she really takes any care to aim it, other than roughly in Mr Adunbi's direction, before she pulls the trigger," Mr Thomas said, saying the weapon was discharged when he was moving away with his hands down.

"It is not alleged that PC Boddie deliberately aimed that taser to Mr Adunbi's face."

Mr Adunbi was later taken to hospital to have the barb removed.

He was a member of the force’s independent advisory group which raises policing matters which could cause the public concern.

Giving evidence at her trial, Ms Boddie said: “I was not sure it was Mr McCalla. I wanted to give him the opportunity to identify himself and calm him down.”

In a statement made after the incident, which was read to the court, she described Mr Adunbi as “hostile from the start”.

At the misconduct hearing, Ms Boddie said she was acting using the police National Decision Model at all times and in the knowledge Mr McCalla’s file had markers for violence and weapons.

She claimed Mr Adunbi threatened that he would "put to sleep" PC Weston, adding that she took this to mean: "That he was going to kill him."

Ms Boddie said she drew the taser for the first time but Mr Adunbi was still not "fully calmed down" and she still viewed him as a threat.

After putting it away, Mr Adunbi was in a "fighting stance" and used his gate to "crush" PC Weston as the officer attempted to handcuff him, she said.

In a statement, PC Weston said: "He has pulled the gate against me with a lot of strength. I have tried to grab his left wrist to apply handcuffs and he has wrenched it from me with force. He needs to be arrested."

Ms Boddie said she believed Mr Adunbi had punched her colleague and drew her taser for a second time, aiming it at Mr Adunbi's chest area.

Ms Boddie started her policing career in 1994, working at Avon and Somerset Police as a special constable before joining Wiltshire Police as an officer in 2008.

In 2012, she attended an initial taser training course and was authorised to carry the weapon. She completed refresher training in 2013 and transferred back to Avon and Somerset Police that year.

Ms Boddie then completed a second initial taser training course in 2014 and has not previously been accused of misconduct or using unlawful force.

The misconduct hearing, which is expected to last for two days, continues.

Additional reporting by PA