Merseyside Police Filmed Punching Stabbed Darren Grace In Head: Video
DARREN Grace has been stabbed in the head. He has made his way to Stanley Park, Liverpool. Merseyside Police come to his aid. They assist him by repeatedly punching him the head and body.
Police says: “CCTV images can never show the whole story.”
They say enough. The man is down. The man is bleeding. The police – three of them – beat him up. What did we miss? Can the police tell us how the camera lies – then explain why we need so much CCTV to crack crime and speed cameras to criminalise motorists? The police violence was captured by the camera operated by the City Council’s Citywatch.
The cameras offer, “improved public reassurance and a public deterrent to offenders.”
The tape is shown to The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC says it is happy for the Merseyside Police to conduct its own investigation. Yeah, really.
Mr Grace has lodged no formal complaint with Merseyside Police. He will not take part in the investigation because he says he has no confidence in the force.
This is the force that charged the 31-year-old with two counts of assaulting a police officer. Police took the charges to the Crown Prosecution Service. They saw the tape. The matter was dropped because with the footage there was no “realistic prospect of a conviction”.
So. Did the police fail the public by allowing a man who is danger to the police escape justice because of their own violence?
Says Grace:
“I was round at a friend’s house and then some more people came round and one of them went for me with a knife. He got me in the head and it was bleeding. I was confused and just wanted to get out.”
In the park Grace appears to refuse treatment and not cooperate with the police. He is then punched. After this punching has stopped, nine more police arrive on the scene. That’s 12 coppers helping the victim. An ambulance arrives. It treats Mr Grace. He is then locked in cells for 11 hours.
Here’s what Superintendent Mike Shaw tells the Liverpool Echo:
“As a police force we expect the highest standards from our officers. Where those standards are found to be breached disciplinary action is taken.”
The officers are still in work. As the public we expect the highest standards from the officers we allow to police on our behalf.
“At about 7.45am on Sunday, August 1 officers were called to a disturbance in Butterfield Street in Anfield in which it was reported that a male had been stabbed.
“Enquiries led officers to Stanley Park. Upon arrival they found Mr Grace with head injuries in need of medical assistance. During the course of administering medical assistance to Mr Grace he became violent towards the officers.
“In this case I understand that members of the public will be concerned when watching this footage. However I would like to stress that CCTV images can never show the whole story.”
Well. Quite.
Still, Mr Grace is preparing a civil case against Merseyside Police. They repeatedly punched him in the head and body. Are those the highest standards of modern policing? Or are the cops just unlucky that the sort of thing that goes on all the time was captured on camera. But as Ian Tomlinson’s death has proven, the camera might not be enough to challenge the Force…
Pamela Somerville Was Assaulted By Police But Unlike Ian Tomlinson She Is Middle Class
Posted: 28th, October 2010 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comments (8) | TrackBack | Permalink
