Porthmadog: North Wales Police officer suspended as man 'repeatedly punched' during arrest
Video Credit: Facebook
A police officer has been suspended after a video appeared to show a man being 'repeatedly punched' during an arrest.
North Wales Police referred itself to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), on Thursday.
The video, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times on Twitter, showed a man, 34, being arrested by two police officers in Porthmadog.
There will be an independent investigation into whether the police officer used "reasonable" force during the arrest.
The footage appears to show a male officer punching him repeatedly in the head while pinning him to the ground with his arm around his neck.
The suspect could be heard groaning in pain as a female officer handcuffed him while onlookers shouted at police.
In a statement released over the weekend, North Wales Police said: "We can confirm that the officer involved has been suspended from duty.
"The IOPC are leading the investigation and we are therefore unable to provide any further information."
The video, which has been viewed more 1.3 million times on Twitter, has caused shock across social media.
Gareth Davies, the Tory Senedd member for the Vale of Clwyd, tweeted at North Wales Police Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman and Suella Braverman: “This is police brutality. What are you doing? Surely we’re better than this?”
Gwynedd councillor Nia Jeffreys said the incident had “shaken” the public’s trust in the police.
In a statement, the IOPC said, "We understand that officers arrested a man at an address after being called to a domestic incident. We have been advised that the man was taken to hospital for treatment after the arrest before being transferred into custody.
IOPC Director David Ford added, “Footage on social media, capturing part of the interaction between police officers and the arrested man has, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern.
"It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate the whole incident, in order to establish whether the level of force used during the arrest was reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.”