Police officer sacked after man complains his head was stamped on during arrest

A police officer has been sacked after a man complained his head was stamped on during an arrest. PC Cameron Lindley was called to a disturbance in Bradford in December 2021 after colleagues asked for urgent support, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Thursday (September 21).

The watchdog said that PC Lindley approached one man and assisted a colleague in bringing him to the ground. IOPC said PC Lindley "applied force to the man's head with the sole of his boot" as the man was being held down by two officers with his face to the ground.

A misconduct panel found on Thursday that Pc Lindley’s actions amounted to gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice, it said. This comes after IOPC carried out a review of West Yorkshire Police’s (WYP) handling of a complaint from the man.

WYP had decided the officer should face disciplinary proceedings for potential misconduct, which carries a maximum sanction of a final written warning. But the IOPC review recommended disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct and the force agreed.

IOPC head of national operations Sunny Bhalla said: “Police officers routinely put themselves in harm’s way to protect members of the public and can use reasonable force if required to do that.

“However, they must use the minimum force necessary in the situation and be able to justify their actions. PC Lindley’s actions were dangerous, excessive and at odds with the training provided to police officers.

“While the vast majority of complaints are dealt with by police forces, the review system ensures complainants who are unhappy with the outcome can have their case independently scrutinised.

“Although we felt this complaint was thoroughly investigated, we disagreed with the proposed outcome and our input has ensured PC Lindley has been held fully accountable for his actions that day.”