A West Yorkshire police officer, PC Graham Kanes who yelled, "Chill out or I'll choke you" while arresting a suspect, was named ahead of a disciplinary hearing. Kanes is set to answer allegations that he used excessive force while arresting a man in Halifax, West Yorkshire last summer which was "not reasonable, necessary or proportionate." Kanes is also alleged to have made "unprofessional and unreasonable" comments during the arrest.
PC Graham Kanes also allegedly lied to fellow police officers about the incident that took place on August 16, 2020. The video of the incident, which went viral at the time, showed Kanes pushing the suspect up against a car before pulling him to the ground. The suspect could be seen waving his hand across his throat as the officer held him in a headlock. Kanes then tried to hit him, shouting, "Chill out or I'll choke you out. Chill out, or you're going to sleep. Chill out, chill out."
'I can't breathe. I give up'
The footage surfaced just months after the high-profile death of George Floyd. In the video, Kanes along with another officer could be seen parking their marked van to arrest the man on suspicion of assault. The suspect, who was wearing black shorts, was hurled against the back of the van by Kanes, while he pleaded, "Look. What have I done?" Kanes then wrestled him to the ground, grabbing his neck and placing him in an arm lock, and told him to "chill out or I will choke you". The man could be heard shouting, "I can't breathe. I give up, I give up."
Afterwards, both the officers were seen kneeling on the man as one of them shouted, "Turn over. Turn Over. Now." As the man was flipped over to his stomach, the officers pinned his hands behind his back and knelt on his shoulders while calling for backup.
West Yorkshire Police is considering dismissing officer PC Graham Kanes
Detectives investigating the matter noted that Kanes has been removed from frontline operational duties. They even voluntarily referred the incident to the Independent Office of Police Conduct.
Given the severity of the misconduct charges, West Yorkshire Police is reportedly considering dismissing PC Kanes. Shedding light on the three allegations faced by Kanes, the force noted that the "force used to restrain the male was not reasonable, necessary or proportionate."
"Two, by telling the male that the officer would "choke him and you're going to sleep" was unprofessional and unreasonable in the circumstances. Three, the statement you provided describing that the male had "punched" you was not an accurate or truthful report of what had happened," the statement added. "The matter set out above is alleged to amount to gross misconduct and is so serious as to justify dismissal." Officer PC Graham Kanes' four-day misconduct hearing will start on November 15.
