Baton hit West Midlands PC to face misconduct hearing

PC Sunil Narr was cleared by a jury of assault occasioning actual bodily harm

A police officer who was cleared of assaulting a man who he hit over the head with a baton will still face a misconduct hearing.

PC Sunil Narr, of West Midlands Police, was found not guilty after striking Joshua Ward in Coventry.

But the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its investigation showed an independent tribunal could find PC Narr had breached standards.

A date for the gross misconduct hearing is to be set.

The IOPC said it carried out its investigation following a referral from the force and a file was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which charged the officer with assault.

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Pc Narr had been accused of accused of hitting Mr Ward over the head when he was pulled over on Lower Ford Street in the Hillfields area on 1 August 2017, having driven through the city at speeds of more than 90mph (145km/h).

PC Narr, 32, said he feared being run over by Mr Ward when he acted.

On Friday, the jury at Birmingham Crown Court accepted he was aiming at Mr Ward's shoulder and not his head.

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