Marcus Coutain: Knee-on-neck arrest PC will not face disciplinary action

Footage on social media appeared to show an officer with his knee on Marcus Coutain's head during the arrest

A police officer who knelt on a black man's neck during an arrest will not face disciplinary proceedings, the police watchdog has decided.

Footage showed Marcus Coutain asking an officer to "get off my neck" during his arrest in July 2020.

In February, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the arresting officer would face no criminal charges.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has found the officer should "undertake reflective practice".

The watchdog found the officer may have used unnecessary and excessive force.

Instead of facing a misconduct hearing the officer should instead "reflect and learn from the incident to prevent any issues identified from reoccurring".

IOPC guidance states that Reflective Practice Review Process is not a "disciplinary process or a disciplinary outcome".

The arrest sparked protests outside Islington police station

Police said officers were called to reports of a fight in Finsbury Park. Footage posted on social media that evening showed two officers holding a handcuffed black man on the pavement.

Following the arrest, one Met officer was suspended and another was placed on restricted duties, the force said.

The IOPC report said investigators had found no evidence the man had been treated differently because of his race.

Its investigation supported the police's claim Mr Coutain was stopped because he matched the description of someone suspected of an assault.

The IOPC found the officer should be investigated for a breach of the code of conduct around "authority, respect and courtesy" for the way he spoke to the man and nearby members of the public.

It said this could also be dealt with by reflective practice.

Mr Coutain's lawyer, Timur Rustem, said: "You have a situation where an officer places a knee on a man's neck during an arrest.

"This is not a technique police are authorised to use, which can lead to injury or death - as seen in America with the case of George Floyd.

"To allow the police to take a reflective period over such a serious case undermines public confidence in the policing."