A Metropolitan Police officer has been suspended after a video appeared to show him applying pressure with his knee to a suspect's neck during an arrest in north London. The footage, which lasts two minutes and 20 seconds, shows a handcuffed man in a green T-shirt on the ground shouting, 'Get off my neck.'
The incident occurred at 6.30pm on Thursday on Isledon Road, near Finsbury Park underground station. The Metropolitan Police described the video as 'extremely disturbing' and confirmed that one officer has been suspended, while another has been removed from operational duty. The case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The suspect, Marcus Coutain, 45, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with possession of a knife in a public place. He is due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Saturday. The Met's deputy commissioner, Steve House, said the techniques used 'cause me great concern – they are not taught in police training.'
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was 'deeply concerned about this distressing incident.' The IOPC confirmed that officers are not supposed to apply pressure to the neck area except in exceptional circumstances. The College of Policing stated that national personal safety training does not include any restraint technique involving pressure to the throat or neck.
