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| CCTV officer off frontline duties | CCTV officer off frontline duties |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A police officer shown in leaked CCTV footage punching a woman has been withdrawn from public duty. | A police officer shown in leaked CCTV footage punching a woman has been withdrawn from public duty. |
| The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation into the incident. | |
| South Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Meredydd Hughes, said Pc Anthony Mulhall had not been suspended as the full facts needed to be uncovered. | South Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Meredydd Hughes, said Pc Anthony Mulhall had not been suspended as the full facts needed to be uncovered. |
| CCTV footage showed Toni Comer, 20, being forcibly restrained after being ejected from a Sheffield nightclub. | CCTV footage showed Toni Comer, 20, being forcibly restrained after being ejected from a Sheffield nightclub. |
| 'More to story' | |
| Mr Hughes added: "The officer draws a salary from the public purse and we will make use of his expertise and talent. But I don't want him put in a position where his welfare will be put at risk because he'll be dealing with the public. | Mr Hughes added: "The officer draws a salary from the public purse and we will make use of his expertise and talent. But I don't want him put in a position where his welfare will be put at risk because he'll be dealing with the public. |
| "And also I want public confidence restored. | "And also I want public confidence restored. |
| "The public needs to understand that there is more to this story, a full independent investigation must take place in order that the full facts can be placed before the public." | "The public needs to understand that there is more to this story, a full independent investigation must take place in order that the full facts can be placed before the public." |
| South Yorkshire Police referred the matter to the IPCC on Thursday. | |
| Nicholas Long, IPCC Commissioner for Yorkshire and Humberside, said an independent investigation would be conducted. | |
| Toni Comer admitted an offence of criminal damage What is reasonable force? Mr Long said: "I have seen the CCTV footage and decided it is in the public interest for a wholly independent investigation to be conducted. | |
| "This investigation will look into the circumstances of the incident to determine whether the force used by the officer when making the arrest was justified and proportionate." | |
| The CCTV footage, obtained by the Guardian newspaper and shown on BBC Two's Newsnight, shows Ms Comer and a police officer falling down a flight of stairs outside Sheffield's Niche nightclub. | The CCTV footage, obtained by the Guardian newspaper and shown on BBC Two's Newsnight, shows Ms Comer and a police officer falling down a flight of stairs outside Sheffield's Niche nightclub. |
| Police had been called when Ms Comer vandalised a car after being thrown out of the club. | Police had been called when Ms Comer vandalised a car after being thrown out of the club. |
| At the bottom of the stairs, she is restrained by officers, with the officer she fell with punching her five times. It is not clear where he punched her. | At the bottom of the stairs, she is restrained by officers, with the officer she fell with punching her five times. It is not clear where he punched her. |
| The footage shows Ms Comer, from Sheffield, writhing around on the ground, which she said was due to an epileptic fit. Police said she was trying to resist arrest. | The footage shows Ms Comer, from Sheffield, writhing around on the ground, which she said was due to an epileptic fit. Police said she was trying to resist arrest. |
| She is later dragged to a police van with her trousers round her knees. | She is later dragged to a police van with her trousers round her knees. |
| 'Cuts and bruises' | |
| Ms Comer said on Thursday that she was "very surprised by the media frenzy" over the footage. | Ms Comer said on Thursday that she was "very surprised by the media frenzy" over the footage. |
| "People are quite shocked that police would do that to somebody and hope they'll get what's coming to them", she added. | "People are quite shocked that police would do that to somebody and hope they'll get what's coming to them", she added. |
| She tried to grab handfuls of my genitals and knee Pc Anthony Mulhall Earlier, she had told BBC's Newsnight programme: "I got quite a few cuts and bruises on my arms and my face and the back of my neck. | |
| "I really don't believe it. I didn't think they would actually do something like that at all." | "I really don't believe it. I didn't think they would actually do something like that at all." |
| On Wednesday, at Sheffield Magistrates' Court, Ms Comer admitted criminal damage to a car, which she said happened after she was ejected from the nightclub, where she had been drinking brandy and had become aggressive. | On Wednesday, at Sheffield Magistrates' Court, Ms Comer admitted criminal damage to a car, which she said happened after she was ejected from the nightclub, where she had been drinking brandy and had become aggressive. |
| She was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 to the vehicle's owner. | She was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £250 to the vehicle's owner. |
| A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "It's a matter of record that the officer involved has fully accepted striking the person in the course of arresting them for an offence for which they were convicted. | A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "It's a matter of record that the officer involved has fully accepted striking the person in the course of arresting them for an offence for which they were convicted. |
| "The officer maintains that he did so because the offender was assaulting him." | "The officer maintains that he did so because the offender was assaulting him." |
| In a statement, Pc Mulhall said: "As her hands became free she tried to grab handfuls of my genitals and knee and kick me in the same place. | |
| He said he had punched her to subdue her and then to "deaden her arm". | |
| Have you been involved in similar events? Are you a serving police officer? If you have a story you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below: | Have you been involved in similar events? Are you a serving police officer? If you have a story you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below: |