A police officer has been dismissed after punching a suspect six times in the head when he had already been incapacitated by a stun gun.

PC Daniel Reed was one of six officers from Durham police who went to the Dalesman pub in Darlington to arrest a 43-year-old man on suspicion of a public order offence and witness intimidation on 8 November 2016.

When the man did not cooperate, officers deployed pepper spray and then a stun gun. An independent panel determined that the man had been brought under control at that point but Reed, an acting sergeant at the time, nevertheless struck him six times before the suspect was placed in a police van.

Miranda Biddle, the regional director for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said: “Officers receive training and have specialist equipment to help them handle such difficult encounters and the public should expect that excessive force is not used, especially in a case such as this, where the man had already been brought under control using the Taser.

“Our investigation found evidence that the force used by police constable Reed was excessive, and the independent panel, who also had the benefit of hearing live evidence this week, agreed that the evidence amounted to gross misconduct. The panel decided that the sixth strike to the head was excessive because PC Reed was aware that the man was incapacitated when this blow was delivered.”

The suspect complained to police after he was treated for facial injuries the day after the arrest. The IOPC investigation examined CCTV footage of the arrest and gathered statements from officers and members of the public who witnessed the accident.



After completing its investigation in April last year, the IOPC submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which charged Reed with assault causing actual bodily harm. Reed was acquitted of the charge at Sunderland magistrates court on 6 September last year.

Durham police decided he had a case to answer for gross misconduct. Former police sergeant Gary O’Neill, who was also present during the arrest, was also accused of gross misconduct for allegedly witnessing the force used by Reed but not reporting it.

O’Neill’s behaviour was found not to amount to misconduct but Reed was dismissed without notice.

Biddle said: “When the police receive a complaint that an officer has used excessive force against someone, even if it’s during an arrest, it’s important for public confidence that the claims are independently investigated.”

In May the IOPC opened an investigation after Samuel Houlihan was shot by firearms officers in Durham. The 24-year-old has since been charged with offences under the Firearms Act.