The last thing that Mr B expected in the early hours of an autumn morning in 2011 was to be visited by or arrested by the police. When the police were called to Mr B’s location it was to deal with what was described as a ‘domestic incident’. There had been no suggestion that Mr B had been involved.
A crowd formed. Other allegations circulated Mr B got into an argument with another man. Mr B walked away having been told to do so by an officer.
Having made a phone call, Mr B was threatened with arrest. And whilst no reasons were given, a number of officers wrestled Mr B to the ground. Whilst on the ground, rolled on his front, one officer shot Mr B with a taser gun in his back.
One witness who did not know Mr B described the police use of force as ‘completely unprovoked’ that the scene was ‘horrific’ and that she feared the police were going to kill him.
Mr B has now secured a substantial out of Court settlement following the incident. Human rights barrister Ian Brownhill settled pleadings on Mr B’s behalf and said, ‘I am pleased that Mr B has found redress for an incident which one independent witness described as an unprovoked attack.’
Ian Brownhill is a popular police law practitioner, acting in police death inquests, protest cases, civil actions and a variety of public law claims against the police. In 2014 he helped secure extra police funding to continue the search for Ben Needham. In 2015 he represented controversial academic Dr Lisa McKenzie at her trial arising from the ‘poor doors’ protest. And in 2016 will be challenging the police and Independent Monitor’s approach to what information is relevant and recorded on a DBS check when somebody hasn’t been arrested or tried for an offence.
