Shocking moment police officers knee an innocent father, 40, in head
Shocking moment police officers knee an innocent father, 40, in the head as they arrest him when he tried to intervene in a row between bailiffs and the owners of a shop
- Geoff Boyson, 40, suffered broken ribs and cuts to head during ‘appalling’ arrest
- The father-one-one was charged with assault of a police officer but later cleared
- Footage shows police pinning Mr Boyson to ground and kneeing him in ribcage
Geoff Boyson (pictured), 40, suffered suspected broken ribs and cuts to the head after being arrested by Northamptonshire Police
Distressing footage of police wrestling an innocent man to the ground and kneeing him in the head during an arrest has emerged.
Geoff Boyson, 40, suffered suspected broken ribs and cuts to the head after being arrested by Northamptonshire Police for a crime he was later cleared of in court.
Footage shows officers pinning the father-of-one to the ground before one officer drives his knee into his rib cage.
The father says his treatment by police was ‘absolutely appalling’ and the case is now being investigated.
The horrific incident happened when Mr Boyson attempted to intervene in a row between bailiffs and the owners of a local shop in Northampton.
But the bailiffs accused him of interfering with their duties and called the police who swiftly arrested him.
Mr Boyson was charged with assaulting a police officer but was found not guilty after a trial at Wellingborough Magistrates Court, Northants, in January.
Footage shows police pinning the father-of-one to the ground before one officer drives his knee into his rib cage
A video of the arrest shows the former security guard being wrestled to the ground by two officers and repeatedly kneed in the head and body.
Mr Boyson, who cannot work due to back problems, said: ‘I didn’t want to get arrested so I went to leave.
‘As I was exiting, a police officer grabbed me and pulled me to the ground.
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‘I had a bad back at the time and didn’t resist arrest at all, but I didn’t want my back to get hurt.
‘They kicked and kneed me. They both hit me quite hard. It was completely unnecessary.
‘It was absolutely appalling treatment. I didn’t deserve it. I just wanted to help.’
Mr Boyson suffered cuts and scratches to his head and hands during ‘appalling’ treatment by police
Mr Boyson had got to know the owners because they frequently visited the cafe next door where his wife Michelle (centre), 35, worked
The incident happened at the Body Fuel convenience store in Northampton on January 28 last year.
Mr Boyson had got to know the owners because they frequently visited the cafe next door where his wife Michelle, 35, worked.
It is claimed the bailiffs were chasing a debt for the previous owners and the new owner, who are Indian, were struggling to communicate because of poor English.
They asked Mr Boyson to translate and mediate but the situation soon spiralled out of control.
He said: ‘I was just trying to mediate between them and be helpful. But they just weren’t prepared to talk to me at all.
‘There was obvious confusion. I tried to explain that it’s not their debt but I was told to leave. The shop owners had letters to prove it.
‘I felt I had a right to be there because I was helping out. They accused me of interfering and said I had no business to be there.’
Mr Boyson, father to six-year-old Jack, claims A&E doctors at Northampton General Infirmary told him he had suspected broken ribs, but was not given an x-ray
Police ordered Mr Boyson to leave the store or face being taken into custody and he was bundled to the floor and arrested.
He was kept in custody until later that evening and when he was later released he was had to go to hospital after he started to experience chest pains.
Mr Boyson, father to six-year-old Jack, claims A&E doctors at Northampton General Infirmary told him he had suspected broken ribs, but was not given an x-ray.
He says he also suffered cuts and bruises to the head, hands and face during the arrest.
Mr Boyson was found not guilty of one charge of assaulting a police officer at Wellingborough Magistrates Court on January 22 this year.
Police knee Mr Boyson in the head during an arrest in the local shop in Northampton
He said: ‘The complaints process is very slow and quite frustrating. It hasn’t finished yet and is still ongoing.
‘But they have said it’s clear I showed no aggression. I want something to be done about it.
‘They can’t get away with doing what they did.’
Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: ‘A complaint from a 40-year-old man was recorded five days after an incident which occurred on January 28, 2018.
‘An internal investigation into the circumstances of this complaint could not begin until a subsequent court case had concluded, so as not to undermine the legal proceedings.
‘Now these proceedings are complete, the complaint will be investigated fully by the force’s Professional Standards Department, in line with the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics and relevant statutory guidance.
‘It would be inappropriate to comment further while a complaint investigation is ongoing.’
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