A Northumbria Police officer allegedly used excessive force by punching a man twice in the face during an arrest in Newcastle.
PC Ferenc Szilvasi allegedly punched the man while holding handcuffs as he was being arrested on suspicion of stalking in April 2020. It is alleged that the punches were not necessary, proportionate or reasonable in the circumstances, and he is currently facing a misconduct hearing.
It is alleged that the officer’s conduct breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour and amounts to gross misconduct. The officer denies the allegation.
- Read more: Northumbria Police officer dismissed after comments to female colleagues amount to gross misconduct
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The misconduct hearing, which began on Monday and is being held at Houghton Police Station, heard that PC Szilvasi and another officer had responded to a 999 call to a Newcastle home on April 17, 2020. When the officers attended the suspected domestic violence call out, they were confronted with an "aggressive" man who later began dishing out homophobic and racist abuse.
Simon Mallett, opening the case on behalf of the Appropriate Authority, said: "Along with another officer, [PC Szilvasi] arrested him and applied force by punching him twice in the face while holding open handcuffs." The hearing heard that before the arrest, the complainant had been asked to leave the property and told one of the officers: "I wouldn't advise you to put your hands on me, Taser or no Taser."
The hearing heard that when the officers went to arrest the man on suspicion of stalking, he became aggressive and was seen to resist arrest while shouting threats and abuse. Mr Mallett continued: "[PC Szilvasi] was in the lead and approached the man with his handcuffs in his right hand.
"This officer punches him twice with his right hand in which he was holding handcuffs. The punches were excessive use of force in the circumstances and he shouldn't have punched him at all. He was unnecessarily confrontational with him."
In a prepared statement, PC Szilvasi said the man was being "hostile" with the officers and made threats to spit at them. He said the man then "swung" towards him, causing the officer to strike him twice in self-defence in order to "control the situation and minimize the risk of harm".
Body worn footage recorded by the officers was shown during the hearing and showed the man being arrested. The man was left with a bloodied face and was heard to say he'd suffered a broken back earlier in the year and that he was in pain. A spit hood was put over the man's head as he was on the ground before a police van arrived and he was placed in the back. On the footage, the man could be heard shouting racist and homophobic remarks. At one point, he threatened to bite PC Szilvasi's nose off and was "headbutting the cage doors" once inside the police van.
During the hearing, the second officer who carried out the arrest alongside PC Szilvasi gave evidence, and said at no point did he see the officer punch the man in the face. He confirmed the man was resisting arrest but could not remember how he was put to the floor.
The hearing continues.
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