A topless man was taken to the ground by police officers in Worcester city centre over the weekend, prompting a viral video and a police statement defending the arrest.
Viral clip sparks concern
The 10-second clip, captured on Saturday 4 July, shows the moment officers apprehended the man. It racked up thousands of views and comments on social media, with some questioning the officers' use of force and suggesting the man had been knocked unconscious.
West Mercia Police has since issued a statement to provide further context, explaining that the footage captures only a fraction of the incident.
Background to the arrest
The force said it received multiple 999 calls reporting a man acting aggressively in the area. Callers stated that he had headbutted another man, who was not known to him. The victim suffered a broken nose and required hospital treatment.
In its statement, the force said: 'The footage being shared online captures only 10 seconds of the officers’ attempts to calm and arrest the suspect. From the angle shown, it is not possible to see that the officer maintains control of the man’s arm and shoulder as he is taken to the ground, which is a tactic used to detain someone who is resisting arrest or behaving aggressively, as safely as possible.'
Force defends tactics
West Mercia Police acknowledged that when viewed in isolation, the footage may appear concerning. However, it stressed that the man was not knocked unconscious, as some online speculation suggested, although he did sustain a minor graze to his face during the arrest.
The force said its officers are trained to use only the necessary level of force to protect the public, those involved and themselves. A review by the Professional Standards Department found the force used to be proportionate in the circumstances, taking into account the details of the full incident.
Suspect bailed
The man was arrested on suspicion of assault and for being drunk and disorderly. He has since been bailed and will return to the police station in August.
Public reaction
The statement, posted on Worcester Police's Facebook page, attracted dozens of comments. Jacqueline said: 'Police cannot win - you take action it's wrong. You don't take action, it's wrong! Unless people were there in person to actually see what happened then how can they judge and comment?'
Nigel wrote: 'OK, thanks for the explanation. I'm always highly suspicious of short, unattributed, out of context videos. Carry on.'
MJ added: 'Only have to see the footage the other day of the person resisting and getting hold of the officer's baton. Shows how important it is to get that control first and foremost.'
Tony said: 'Good to see that the force used was deemed appropriate. However, as long as any review is done by your own there will always be suspicion that you are marking your own homework.'
Another social media user replied: 'The video is bound to raise serious questions. Whatever happened before those 10 seconds, he appeared calm at that moment when he was thrown to the deck and his head smashed the floor. Just a graze though they say. If that was someone you knew, or if that lad had suffered a life-changing brain injury, would people still be defending it?'
