A police sergeant filmed hitting out at a woman during
the G20 protests was suspended last night.
Scotland Yard is facing fresh allegations of brutality during the
week of the summit in London after video footage on YouTube showed
an officer swiping at the female with his hand before apparently hitting
her across the legs with a baton.
The evidence was passed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission
(IPCC), a Yard spokesman said.
'The officer has been identified and suspended pending
further investigation. The officer works as a sergeant in the territorial
support group,' the spokesman said.
The Met said the matter raised 'immediate concerns' as it announced
the IPCC, which is already probing the death of Ian Tomlinson, would
launch an inquiry.
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Labour MP David Winnick condemned what he said was 'outright police
brutality' while Shami Chakrabarti, of Liberty added: 'It is very
difficult to understand what justifies a gargantuan police officer
assaulting a smaller woman for having the audacity to complain.
'It is no doubt a pressure cooker environment, however
highly-trained professionals are supposed to be better at defusing
the situation.'
David Howarth, Liberal Democrat justice spokesman, called for a 'full-scale
inquiry'.
