Inappropriate force used on black mother in Bristol, panel finds

The incident took place in East Street in Bedminster two years ago

An "inappropriate" level of force was used by two police officers on a black mother following a dispute with a bus driver, an independent panel has found.

The woman, who was with her child in Bristol, was PAVA sprayed - a substance similar to pepper spray - restrained and arrested on 16 December 2020.

But the panel found the officers did not de-escalate the situation.

Avon and Somerset Police said the officers had shown regret for what had happened.

Both had taken part in two "reflective practice" review sessions following the incident, the force said.

The report, by the Independent Scrutiny of Police Powers Panel (ISoPPP) for the Avon and Somerset Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), gives a detailed review of how the officers handled the situation.

One panel member said it was the "worst case of misuse of force" they had seen in four years on the scrutiny panel.

'Mishandled'

It heard the mother got on a bus in East Street with her toddler and a dispute followed with the driver over paying for a ticket.

The incident led to the police being called by the bus company, who described the woman as "aggressive".

Two officers boarded the bus and offered the women a lift to her destination in an attempt to resolve the issue - but this offer was refused, the panel was told.

Both officers, according to one ISoPPP panel member, "mishandled" and "escalated" the situation, with one of them threatening to report the woman to social services and the other calling her "ignorant".

The majority of panel members voted that the level of force used was inappropriate, with incorrect decisions made during the episode.

The ISoPPP is a panel made up of local people from different backgrounds, who volunteer to look at police records and body-worn camera footage and give feedback to the police.

Avon and Somerset Police said the officers involved regretted the incident

The force also voluntarily referred the incident to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) which also investigated.

It concluded the use of force "was justifiable, proportionate and necessary" but some of the comments by officers did merit a reflective practice, although they did not breach standards of professional behaviour.

According to the IOPC report, the officers attempted to hold the woman's arm and an altercation ensued with the woman becoming aggressive with officers.

She was then PAVA sprayed and put in leg restraints before being arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), a decision was made that no further action would be taken against the woman.

The new ISoPPP panel report also queried why PAVA spray was used in close proximity to a child.

'Regret'

Avon and Somerset Police said it welcomed further independent scrutiny and it would never want a woman or child to find themselves at the centre of such an incident.

It added that since the incident they had been "open and transparent in ensuring the learning of this incident is truly embedded back into the constabulary".

"The response from both officers [in the reflective sessions] was really engaging, reflective and genuine," the force said.

"There was a visible demonstration of regret for what took place and lots of learning on their part linked to the topics discussed."

Chairman of the ISOPPP, David Woodward, said: "Cases like this demonstrate just how important it is to have public scrutiny of how the police use their powers.

"Over the last five and a half years, we have scrutinised 893 cases and the Bedminster bus incident is only the second case to warrant a special report.

"In this case, they have, without delay, taken steps to act on the identified 'learnings' and to continue to develop their ambitions of inclusion, legitimacy and enhancing public confidence in them."

Police and crime commissioner Mark Shelford said: "Our panels, made up of independent volunteers from within those communities, play a crucial role supporting that scrutiny, ensuring it is transparent and the police service is accountable to the public it serves."

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