A Metropolitan Police officer has been suspended after appearing to kneel on a man’s neck during an arrest in London.
Footage of the incident was described as “deeply disturbing” by Scotland Yard’s deputy commissioner Sir Steve House, who said some of the techniques used, which are “not taught in police training”, caused him “great concern”.
He said a second officer involved in the arrest has been removed from operational duty, while the incident has been passed to the police watchdog for investigation.
Officers were called to a fight in Isledon Road, Islington, north London, at about 6.30pm on Thursday and arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon, the Met said.
Footage posted on social media on Thursday evening showed two officers holding a handcuffed man, who is black, on the pavement.
At the start of the clip, one of the officers appears to be kneeling on the suspect’s neck and has his hand on his head.
The struggling man on the ground can be heard shouting “Get off me ... get off my neck, I haven’t done anything wrong, get off my neck.”
One of the police officers is heard to ask him “Are you going to behave yourself?” before telling him to “Stay down”.
He then stands up and asks onlookers who are filming the incident to “move back”, while another clip shows more police officers arriving at the scene.
The Met said its directorate of professional standards carried out an assessment and that the force had referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Sir Steve said: “The video footage that I have seen today and is circulating on social media is extremely disturbing. I understand that many viewing the footage will share my concern.
“The man involved was arrested, taken to a police station and has now been seen by a police doctor
“Some of the techniques used cause me great concern – they are not taught in police training.
“We have quickly assessed the incident, including the body-worn video footage from the officers and their statements and justification for their use of force. As a result we have referred the matter to the IOPC.
“One officer has been suspended and another officer has been removed from operational duty, but not suspended at this time. This decision will be kept under review.
“We will co-operate fully with the IOPC investigation.”
Scotland Yard said the man detained and arrested at the scene remains in police custody.
London mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the Met’s referral of the incident to the IOPC, calling it “distressing”.
“I look forward to a swift and thorough independent investigation, with all decisions made public,” he said in a tweet. “It’s crucial our police service continues to earn the trust of the communities it serves.”
The use of force by police officers, particularly against black people, has been the subject of widespread protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in police custody earlier this year.
One officer involved in Floyd’s arrest has been charged with murder and three others also face charges.
Additional reporting by Press Association
