A police constable (PC) has been dismissed following a Merseyside Police misconduct hearing.

An investigation carried out by us(IOPC) found evidence that the PC, who cannot be named for legal reasons, may have used excessive force when arresting a 17 year-old male.

The male was arrested in February 2015 by the PC and another officer. A complaint to the force was referred to us in February 2016 and we completed our investigation in July 2017.

Merseyside Police agreed that there was a case to answer for gross misconduct. Based on the evidence provided by us and live evidence given at the misconduct hearing, an independent panel found that the officer had breached the standards of police professional behaviour when using force against the male.

IOPC Regional Director Amanda Rowe said:
“The evidence we gathered during this investigation included body worn camera footage and witness statements, including one from a nurse at the hospital the young person attended, and fellow officers. The evidence we gathered indicated that the officer may have used excessive force when dealing with this situation, and the independent panel decided that this was the case.

“We appreciate that this must have been a very difficult time for the young person involved and his family. We would like to thank them and all those involved for their patience and cooperation during this investigation.”