Officer B said he heard the man say: “I’ll smash your f—ing head in, c—.”
Fearing Mr S may carry out his threat, Officer B placed him in a harness hold and took him to the ground.
An initial investigation by the Public Transport Authority concluded the incident was lawful and reasonable.
But the commission’s report disagreed, stating the force used was excessive, unnecessary, and unlawful, and that the authority failed to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation.
The commission also raised concerns about the authority’s broader use of force to manage incidents.
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The authority claimed a total of 170 “use of force” incidents were reported last year – six of which were referred to the Integrity and Investigations Branch.
These matters were likely to meet the threshold for mandatory reporting to either the commission or the Public Sector Commission, but none of the six incidents were reported further.
The commission has recommended the authority review, update and implement policies and procedure to ensure proper oversight going forward.
This includes maintaining transparent oversight over incidents where officers have used their powers; monitoring, identifying, and investigating any breaches of policy; and ensuring use of force and any review aligned the justification for the force used with legislative powers and authority policy.
Some recommendations have already been put in place, and the commission will review the authority’s response in 12 months.
The PTA was contacted for comment.
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Source Agencies
