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'.
