Avon and Somerset Police have apologised to a 21-year-old student who was handcuffed by male officers in her bedroom while partially undressed during a raid linked to a 'kill the bill' protest in Bristol.
Katie McGoran, a photography student with no police record, was handcuffed for over 20 minutes by four male officers who tricked their way into her shared student house by pretending to be postal workers. She was wearing a short dressing gown and says she suffered repeated panic attacks and was left 'traumatised and humiliated'.
An internal investigation found it was unacceptable to keep her in cuffs after it became likely she was not the person they were seeking and any perceived threat had diminished. Bodycam footage showed she was 'obviously shocked and distressed' at the presence of the male officers in her bedroom.
The report also noted that officers failed to introduce themselves, explain why they entered, or read McGoran her rights. It suggested the force should have considered sending fewer officers and deploying a female officer, given the suspect was a female student with no previous police history.
Despite the findings, none of the officers will face disciplinary action. Inspector Alex Matthews apologised for areas where the service was 'not acceptable', but defended the 'postman tactic' as lawful and used for decades.
McGoran said she was pleased the police acknowledged what happened but added: 'It shouldn't have taken a complaint to get an apology. I was treated without respect and without dignity.' She described the raid as 'revenge policing' for attending the protest.
