A police officer has been removed from frontline duties after a video showed a man being told “chill out or I’ll choke you out” during an arrest.
West Yorkshire Police said the matter has been referred to the police watchdog after footage emerged of the incident in Halifax.
The 45-second clip shows two male uniformed officers grappling on a pavement with a man wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
One of the officers appears to say to him “chill out or I’ll choke you out” and then “chill out or you’re going to sleep”.
An officer grapples with the man and appears to say ‘chill out or I’ll choke you out’
Two officers were involved in the suspect’s arrest
The officers manage to get the man onto his front and one tries to handcuff him as the other appears to be talking on his radio.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Osman Khan confirmed the video showed the arrest of a man at Spring Hall Gardens in Halifax on Sunday “in relation to assault offences”.
“We immediately reviewed the footage and looked into it as a matter of urgency to establish the full circumstances,” he added.
“We have reviewed the actions of the officers involved and a referral has been made to the force’s professional standards directorate.
“Our investigation remains ongoing and we have made a voluntarily referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).
“The officer involved has been removed from frontline operational duties.
“The man arrested was released under investigation.”
The incident has been referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct
West Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said the “footage has been looked into it as a matter of urgency by West Yorkshire Police”.
“A referral has been made to the force’s professional standards directorate and the officer involved has been removed from frontline operational duties,” he added.
“The investigation remains ongoing and a voluntarily referral to the IOPC has also been made.”
The man arrested was released under investigation
Earlier this month it was revealed a police officer was being investigated after footage appeared to show a man’s neck being knelt on during an arrest.
The IOPC is looking into the incident which happened in Islington, north London, in July.