Alex Massie Alex Massie

Police Brutality in Nottingham

Meanwhile, in dear old Britain the paramilitarisation of our police continues. The Home Office has announced an extra £8m to help provide police forces in England with Tasers. It’s only a matter of time before someone is killed by one of these weapons. Watch this footage of a police arrest in Nottingham and tell me if you think the police actions are appropriate and proportionate.

Granted, some context is missing from this film. The BBC reports that the man being tasered had, it is said, assaulted a police officer. Nonetheless, when he is tasered he is a) lying on the ground and b) there are two and then four police officers on the scene to deal with him. The suspect is then tasered for a second time. We then see an officer punch the tasered man in the head. Three times. At the very least this seems a disproportionate use of force. I’d go further: the police officer punching the suspect in the head seems guilty of assault himself and should, I hope, be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

To repeat, we don’t know the extent of the suspect’s alleged misbehaviour but this video seems to be more evidence that the police still think it’s perfectly ok to use “overwhelming” force when no such force is required.

UPDATE: As you might expect Henry Porter has more.

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