An officer presses his knee into Marcus Coutain’s neck during an arrest in July 2020
(@realairavish/Twitter screengrab)
A police officer who knelt on a black man’s neck while arresting him will not face disciplinary proceedings, the police watchdog has decided.
Marcus Coutain, who is in his late 40s, was seen in footage asking an officer to “get off my neck” during his arrest in Finsbury Park, north London, in July last year.
Police said officers were called to reports of a fight. Footage posted on social media shows two male officers restraining Mr Coutain, who was handcuffed, on the pavement.
In arresting Mr Coutain, the Metropolitan Police officer may have used unnecessary and excessive force, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found.
But instead of facing a misconduct hearing the officer ought to instead “reflect and learn from the incident to prevent any issues identified from reoccurring” – the watchdog said.
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An officer presses his knee into Marcus Coutain’s neck during an arrest in July 2020
(@realairavish/Twitter screengrab)
