A police officer in north Wales has been suspended from duty after appearing to punch a man nine times while arresting him.
North Wales police said the action had been taken after the incident in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, on Wednesday.
Footage circulated online showed a male officer restraining a 34-year-old man on the ground with his arm around his neck. He can then be seen punching him in the face with his other hand. A female officer can also be seen helping hold him down. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the officers were responding to a “domestic incident”.
The suspect can be seen struggling and groaning in pain as the female officer puts him in handcuffs.
In a second video clip, the man arrested appears to have a bloodied and swollen face as he is put in a police van.
The man being arrested was later taken to hospital for treatment before being taken into custody. A police spokesperson said he had since been released.
After the footage emerged on Thursday, politicians in the region wrote to North Wales police to say they were concerned and to ask whether the restraint methods had the force’s approval.
The force has referred the incident to the IOPC, which has launched an investigation. The North Wales police chief constable, Amanda Blakeman, said the footage was being taken “very seriously”.
In a short statement released on Friday the force said it was “unable to provide any further information” because of the IOPC investigation.
The IOPC director, David Ford, said: “Footage on social media, capturing part of the interaction between police officers and the arrested man has, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern. It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate the whole incident, in order to establish whether the level of force used during the arrest was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.”
Andy Dunbobbin, the North Wales police and crime commissioner, said: “The video that is circulating of the arrest of a male in Porthmadog is concerning. I have discussed this incident with the chief constable this morning and she has confirmed the matter is rightly being investigated by North Wales police, who will be issuing further updates in due course.”
