Bristol mayor to review footage of black man's arrest

Police officers restrained the man on the ground in St Pauls on Friday

Bristol's mayor Marvin Rees and other community leaders are set to review footage showing a black man being pinned down by police in the city.

Officers were called to reports of disorder involving a number of people in Winkworth Place and Argyle Road, St Pauls, on Friday evening.

One officer's left cheekbone was fractured in three places.

Avon and Somerset Police says it will share the "full facts" and the footage will be reviewed on Wednesday.

A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.

An 18-year-old man was held on suspicion of affray in connection with the disorder.

Both were released on conditional bail.

'Race tensions'

Ch Insp Paul Wigginton said: "On arrival officers found a large number of people in the streets and a man who had suffered a head injury.

"He received treatment at the scene but was taken to hospital by paramedics.

"One of our officers present at the scene suffered a nasty injury and received several blows to the face, requiring emergency treatment."

Desmond Brown, Safer Options community consultant at Bristol City Council, said there were "race tensions".

"There is a need for more representation within the workforce.

"More conversations need to be had between people in the community and the police force which is what I have been trying to create."

On social media, Mr Rees linked the incident to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

He called it "a complicated local incident compounded by wider tensions brought upon us by the racial inequalities being exposed by Covid-19 and the situation in the US".