Guardian Friday 3 Aug 2018
PC Daniel Reed was one of six officers from Durham police who went to the Dalesman pub in Darlington to arrest a 43-year-old man on suspicion of a public order offence and witness intimidation on 8 November 2016.
When the man did not cooperate, officers deployed pepper spray and then a stun gun. An independent panel determined that the man had been brought under control at that point but Reed, an acting sergeant at the time, nevertheless struck him six times before the suspect was placed in a police van.
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Miranda Biddle, the regional director for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said:
“Our investigation found evidence that the force used by police constable Reed was excessive, and the independent panel, who also had the benefit of hearing live evidence this week, agreed that the evidence amounted to gross misconduct. The panel decided that the sixth strike to the head was excessive because PC Reed was aware that the man was incapacitated when this blow was delivered.”
After completing its investigation in April last year, the IOPC submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which charged Reed with assault causing actual bodily harm. Reed was acquitted of the charge at Sunderland magistrates court on 6 September last year.
O’Neill’s behaviour was found not to amount to misconduct but Reed was dismissed without notice.