A police officer who used “excessive force” to restrain a teenage girl in Arnold has been sacked.
PC Kevin Markowski faced a gross misconduct hearing at Force HQ in Sherwood Lodge which ended today (15).
The hearing heard how the officer and his colleague attended an incident in Arnold just before 8pm on August 24, 2022.
The incident involved a 16-year-old girl who was shouting and swearing in in Front Street, and allegedly threatened to ‘bang someone out’.
The officer approached the girl and asked her to stop shouting and swearing before grabbing hold of her arm and leading her towards the police car.
The hearing then heard the officer banged her head on the police vehicle causing injury and put his hands on her throat area on two occasions when restraining her in the back of the police vehicle.
It was said the force used was “unnecessary and disproportionate.”
The girl was then driven to her mum’s address and is later de-arrested for breach of the peace.
PC Markowski was also described as “disrespectful and discourteous” when he refused to provide a concerned member of the public with his collar number.
Throughout the hearing, the officer said that the force he used throughout was necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
He said that his hands were on the top of her chest and not her throat area and that he did not believe he was restricting her breathing.
The two-day hearing was chaired by Temporary Deputy Chief Constable, Rob Griffin, and two independent panel members.
The panel dismissed PC Markowski’s assertions and found he had breached the following standards of professional behaviour: duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy, use of force and discreditable conduct.
He was dismissed from the force without notice and placed on the police barred list.
Following the hearing, Mr Griffin said: “In this case the panel found that PC Markowski’s actions were unnecessary and disproportionate and that his dismissal is necessary for maintaining public trust and confidence in policing.
“The vast majority of our employees maintain the highest possible professional standards which makes it all the more important we address instances where an individual’s behaviour has fallen short of these expectations.”
