Police inspector mocks teen for crying and being scared of the dark after using ‘unnecessary’ force in custody
The police inspector used ‘unnecessary and gratuitous force on AB - in particular in picking him up... pushing him around’
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Your support makes all the difference.A police inspector who made fun of a teenager for crying in a custody block, as well as using unnecessary force to pick him up off the floor, has admitted to gross misconduct.
A disciplinary hearing by the West Midlands Police was told that following the incident, Inspector Matthew Downs went on to swear at a colleague before turning the cell light off after discovering that the 17-year-old detainee was afraid of the dark.
The hearing at the West Midlands Police force’s HQ on Tuesday heard that the youth, referred to as AB, was taken into the custody suite having been “red-dotted” with a taser. This was because he had threatened someone with a machete in Walsall, while he was drunk.
CCTV footage of the incident in the cell was shown to a misconduct panel, after which the 49-year-old Mr Downs gave evidence, saying that his actions had been instinctive after a threat was made to other officers.
The incident occurred on 8 February last year when officers arrested the offender, AB, in apparently “reasonably peaceful circumstances,” according to presenting counsel Andrew Waters.
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The 17-year-old AB was then taken to the Oldbury custody suite where Mr Downs decided to get involved, apparently entering the cell and using “unnecessary and gratuitous force on AB - in particular in picking him up... pushing him around,” Mr Walters explained.
The presenting counsel added that Mr Downs was “abusive to AB in two instances. He shouted and swore at AB and, when AB started crying, he mocked him for doing so.”
He went on to add: “As [Mr Downs] left the cell, he asked AB if he was afraid of the dark and, when AB said he was, he said ‘Good’ and turned the light off.”
Mr Downs on the other hand defended his behaviour saying that it had been due to the fact that the detainee had behaved very aggressively.
“I just wanted to tell him to behave himself,” Mr Downs said. He did acknowledge that he should not have lifted the youth to his feet and said that he was “disappointed” with himself for having done it.
The officer’s QC, Adrian Keeling, suggested that the panel should impose a final written warning in relation to the conduct towards AB. The youth did not file a complaint about the incident.
Mr Keeling said: “The culpability and harm is low. It’s a single incident and it’s in no way targeted or planned - it arises out of a spontaneous set of circumstances.”
Mr Downs accepted that he would “absolutely” agree to be reduced in rank if the panel chose to impose it as a sanction.
An outcome of the hearing is due to be announced later on Tuesday.
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