Police have defended their actions after footage shows the moment a police officer repeatedly punches a man and shoves a woman to the floor in an arrest tussle.
The violent struggle, caught on camera, took place in the early hours of Easter Monday.
In the video, two officers are seen struggling with a man who falls to the ground. One of the officers then proceeds to punch him at least five times while his colleague appears to have him held down on the ground.
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A bystander shooting the video can be heard saying: “Has he just punched him?”
The officer then shoves a woman to the floor.
After getting back up she can be heard exclaiming: “Did you see that?!”
The video only shows the final moments of the incident before an arrest was made.
Durham Constabulary has defended the officer’s actions saying the “use of force was justified and proportionate” in both cases.
It came after allegations that a nightclub doorman had been headbutted in the face.
Officers identified a man in his late 20s as their suspect and sought to detain him when the kerfuffle ensued.
Police said the man was drunk, aggressive, threatened officers, resisted arrested and damaged an officer’s radio before being detained.
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He has since been arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage and later released under police bail pending further investigations.
The incident took place in the early hours of Easter Monday (April 10) near Bar 52 on Burnhope Way in Peterlee, County Durham.
Durham Police told The Northern Echo it had carried out a full review of bodycam video of the moments surrounding the arrest.
A force spokesperson said: “Body worn video of the arrest, and the moments leading up to it, has since been reviewed and it has been determined that use of force was justified and proportionate given the level of threat faced by the arresting officers.
“In the early hours of April 10, officers on patrol in Peterlee town centre were alerted to an assault in which a nightclub doorman had been headbutted in the face.
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“Police identified a suspect among a group of people in nearby Burnhope Way. The suspect, who was intoxicated and aggressive, threatened officers, resisted arrest and damaged an officer’s radio before being successfully detained.
“A man in his late 20s was arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage and has since been released on bail while investigations continue.”
No formal complaint has been made to the force about the officer’s actions.
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