Two police officers are under investigation after a man was left needing hospital treatment following his arrest.
Body-worn camera footage shows the man, who is understood to be Black, being ‘pepper-sprayed’ and “struck while being restrained” after a traffic incident.
Now the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) have informed both officers they may face criminal charges and are being investigated for gross misconduct. One has been suspended. The incident emerged after North Yorkshire Police referred itself to the IOPC following the alleged assault on January 26.
An IOPC spokesman said both officers were responding to a traffic accident in the village of Tockwith, near Wetherby.
The spokesman said: “They were involved in an incident with the man who, early evidence suggests, was aggressive towards officers. Body-worn footage shows PAVA spray [a synthetic form of pepper spray] being deployed and the man being struck while being restrained. Our investigation is looking at the level of force used. We have accounts from other officers present and ambulance staff.”
An IOPC source told us there was there was “no evidence [of race] being a factor at this stage”.
North Yorkshire Police said: “Officers arrested a man in his 40s in connection with a traffic incident. The man became violent towards officers who used force to restrain him. He was released on bail."