West Yorkshire Police probe 'I'll choke you out' video

A police officer is being investigated after footage emerged that appears to show him restraining a man and saying "chill out or I'll choke you out".

The video shows an officer wrestling a man to the ground before holding him with an arm around the neck.

The footage from Halifax has been widely shared on social media.

West Yorkshire Police said the officer had been suspended and the incident had been referred to the force watchdog.

Assistant Chief Constable Osman Khan said: "We immediately reviewed the footage and looked into it as a matter of urgency to establish the full circumstances.

"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 front-line operational duties."

The police officer appeared to tell the man that he would put him "to sleep" during the arrest

During the footage, a voice can be heard saying "chill out or I'll choke you out, chill out or you're going to sleep".

The man is seen tapping on the floor and saying "I give up" before he is told to "turn over now" with another officer helping to detain him.

Police confirmed that the footage was taken at Spring Hall Gardens in the town.

The man was arrested on Sunday and has been released under investigation.

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An IOPC spokesman said: "We have received a referral from West Yorkshire Police and will make a decision on the level of IOPC involvement in due course."

Earlier this month, a separate video emerged which appeared to show a police officer from the same force kneeling on a teenager's neck during an arrest outside Leeds United stadium.

At the time, the IOPC said the officer would be interviewed on suspicion of common assault and gross misconduct.

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