North Wales Police officer faces misconduct hearing over arrest force

A misconduct hearing is underway for North Wales Police officer PC Richard Williams, who is accused of gross misconduct following an arrest in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, on May 10, 2023. While Williams was previously found not guilty of criminal charges including intentional strangulation and assault, he faces disciplinary proceedings for allegedly using “unreasonable force.”

During the hearing, it was alleged that Williams placed Steven Clark in a headlock and punched him nine times in the face or head. Other accusations include twisting handcuffs, spraying Clark with incapacitant spray at close range, and throwing or dropping him into a police van. Clark testified that he was unable to breathe and felt his arm was injured by the handcuffs, while denying he resisted arrest.

Defense counsel for PC Williams argued that his actions were “completely reasonable in the circumstances” and that he did the best he could during the encounter. The incident, which was captured on footage and shared widely on social media, began after officers responded to a report of a domestic argument.