PC Graham Kanes regrets Halifax arrest choke threat, hearing told

The claims relate to a 2020 arrest in Halifax that was filmed by members of the public and captured on body-worn camera

A PC who told a man to "chill out or I'll choke you out" during an arrest regrets his words, a misconduct panel has heard.

PC Graham Kanes, of West Yorkshire Police, told Hassan Ahmed to "chill out or you're going to sleep" as he restrained him in Halifax last August.

In footage recorded by several bystanders, Mr Ahmed can be heard to say "I give up" and "I can't breathe".

PC Kanes denies using unreasonable, unnecessary and disproportionate force.

• Read more Yorkshire stories

Opening a gross misconduct hearing in Wakefield, George Thomas said police were called to Spring Hall Gardens to reports a group of teenage girls was banging on a door and making threats.

Upon arrival, PC Kanes attempted to restrain Mr Ahmed after he witnessed him striking another man near a pedestrian crossing, the hearing was told.

'I can't breathe'

Mr Thomas, representing the force, said PC Kanes made the verbal threats to Mr Ahmed while putting him on the floor, with body-worn camera footage showing Mr Ahmed tapping the ground with his hand.

Mr Ahmed replies, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe" and "I give up", Mr Thomas said.

Later footage later shows Mr Ahmed being further arrested on suspicion of assaulting PC Kanes, with Mr Ahmed telling police "he choked me for so long I couldn't breathe" and referencing the George Floyd case in the United States, which had taken place three months earlier.

Mr Thomas told the hearing: "[PC Kanes] accepts the language he used may have been insensitive and he regrets using it.

"But he understands he can say anything in order to gain control and that is what he did."

"It is not alleged or implied that race was a factor," the attendees were told.

The officer denies using excessive force while restraining Mr Ahmed, "including a choke and a punch".

He also denies that a statement he provided, describing how he was punched by Mr Ahmed, "was not an accurate or truthful account of what had happened".

The hearing is due to last for four days.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or send video here.