Police Officers Swearing at Detainees ‘Not Unusual’ Misconduct Panel Hears
A misconduct hearing reveals that swearing by police at detainees is common, raising concerns about appropriate conduct in custody.
Swansea, Wales, Police Misconduct, Custody, Tariq Evans, Rhodri Davies
Swansea: So, there’s this police misconduct hearing going on, right? They’re talking about how it’s not really a big deal for officers to swear at people in custody. An expert witness said it’s pretty common, especially when dealing with certain detainees.
This all started when a police sergeant, Rhodri Davies, was caught on video using some pretty harsh language with a guy named Tariq Evans. Evans was brought in after a wild incident, and it seems like things got a bit out of hand. The sergeant allegedly used excessive force, which is what the hearing is trying to figure out.
During the hearing, they showed footage of the arrest, and it looked like Davies was using some questionable techniques. An ex-Metropolitan Police officer, Martin Graves, said he didn’t see anything wrong with how Davies handled the situation, which raised some eyebrows.
Evans was described as a big guy, around 6ft 6in and weighing 17 stone, and he was acting aggressively. He had already caused some trouble before getting to the station, so it was a tense situation. But still, the panel is questioning whether the officers should have been more careful, especially considering Evans might have had some mental health issues.
Graves mentioned that swearing could sometimes help communicate with certain detainees, but he wouldn’t have used that kind of language himself. The panel chair pointed out that even if someone is acting out, they should still be treated with some respect and care.
It’s a tricky situation, and the hearing is ongoing. There’s a lot to unpack here about how police handle detainees and what’s considered acceptable behavior. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out.