Tags
autism, Bedfordshire, commissioner, crime, disability, disabled, Faruk Ali, hate, Independent Police Complaints Commission, investigation, IPCC, learning difficulties, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, police, suspend, Vox Political, whitewash
An attack on a disabled man is being investigated by the local police and crime commissioner and the Independent Police Complaints Commission – because the victim said it was committed by on-duty police officers.
Bedfordshire’s police commissioner has said the alleged attack may have been a disability hate crime, but the force has stirred up anger by refusing to suspend the two constables while the investigation takes place.
Faruk Ali, who has autism and learning difficulties, allegedly suffered the assault as he stood in his slippers, next to the dustbins outside his family home.
He says – in a story confirmed by neighbours – that he was grabbed by one policeman, pushed to the floor, and thrown against some wheelie-bins before being chased screaming into the house. There, family members said the assault continued and one of the officers punched the victim.
The two accused policemen did not immediately report the incident to their superiors, and it is understood they have claimed they thought Faruk Ali was committing a robbery (in his slippers, remember).
The Disability News Service has the full story.
All I can say is the people of Luton, where the incident took place, had better hope they have a good commissioner; experience suggests the IPCC will be as much use as a bucket of whitewash.
Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike
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Mike Sivier's blog 
Reblogged this on The Greater Fool.
As you know Mike, I hold the police in very low regard because of personal experience. I actually sued South Wales police as a litigant in person and although it was not an outright win for me, I exposed some very dodgy practices and some very dodgy police officers.
I think the police have forgotten that they are a police SERVICE not a police FORCE; even their current uniforms have taken on a paramilitary hue.
It is right and proper that alternative media and bloggers expose these instances of abuse of power. As regards the IPCC, you are right. They exist as another barrier to the citizen, in my case, they only upheld my complaint because I rattled so many cages (HMIT, South Wales Police Authority, my MP and ACPO) and thedy knew I was not going to roll over like a Llasa Apso!
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=lhasa+apso&qpvt=lhasa+apso&FORM=IGRE
I hope that this young man receives an apology and compensation from the police.
Sorry that should have been HMIC 🙂
Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog.
Pingback: How do you fight disability hate crime if the p...
Reblogged this on SMILING CARCASS'S TWO-PENNETH.
Might I state that Police do not have “superiors” – they have seniors. Can I also state that Constabularies – until about 10 years ago were “Forces”. The term “Service” was then introduced to make the Police ‘sound’ less aggressive. Much information in respect of this case and similar others can be found on the Facebook page of Michael DOHERTY, who has been very successful in confronting the PTB.
Thanks for the information. I was aware that the descriptor for the various constabularies had changed, but inadvertently reverted to the commonly-held term as I was writing up the article.
Reblogged this on Social Action.