Man loses fingertips while being forcibly removed from toilet by police
Five Essex officers accused of gross misconduct
A group of police officers have been accused of gross misconduct after a man had three fingertips chopped off under a toilet rim during a struggle.
The 33-year-old man was being held at Colchester Police Station in Essex when he was found with his foot in the toilet bowl.
A number of officers attempted to remove him from the toilet but he grabbed on to the rim and as they tried to restrain him the tops of three of his fingers were severed.
The man was taken to hospital and the severed body parts were retrieved but could not be reattached.
Five Essex police officers – an inspector, three constables and a temporary sergeant – will face gross misconduct proceedings over the case beginning on 7 May, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed on Monday.
One sergeant also admitted misconduct over the case and received a written warning while another received management action.
Essex Police replaced all toilets of the same design in the wake of the injury to the man, who was a foreign national with mental health issues.
The Crown Prosecution Service decided in August that no criminal charges would be brought in the case.
IOPC regional director Sarah Green said: “We concluded that five officers have a case to answer for gross misconduct and Essex agreed.
“It will now be for an independent panel to consider the evidence and make its judgment.”
Press Association contributed to this report