A British Army veteran who was wrongfully arrested during a lockdown and insulted by police by calling him a “dumb man” and other slurs has been awarded £30,000 in damages.
On April 26, 2020, about 2 am, Desmond Acquah, 43, was driving home after a 12-hour job as a key worker on the railroads when a police vehicle started to follow him.
When he came up to his apartment building in Portsmouth, two policemen, including PC Thisby, stepped out of a marked police vehicle, asked for his information, and incorrectly warned him that if he didn’t provide it, he may be jailed for defying coronavirus regulations.
The cops questioned Mr. Acquah for his identity when he said that he was only coming home from work and wanted to check on his pregnant fiancée before going to bed.
Mr. Acquah was handcuffed and thrown up against a wall after refusing to reveal his identity.
Even though he was not required by law to do so, he ultimately provided his identity but would not provide more data.
He was then searched before other cops showed up and threatened him with incapacitating spray.
You’re acting like a f****** fool right now, shut up, an officer said.
Another person said, “I don’t want you spitting in my face while you’re yelling you dumb guy,” in response to Mr. Acquah’s question about why he was being shoved up against a wall.
He was finally detained for four hours after being arrested for a public order offence until a senior officer examined body worn camera video and declared that he had been unfairly detained, at which point he was freed.
Acquah then filed a lawsuit against Hampshire Constabulary, although she offered to settle for less in return for an open apology.
Olivia Pinkey, the chief constable of Hampshire, declined to publicly apologise despite acknowledging that Mr. Acquah had been illegally detained.
After that, the police was had to pay £30,000 plus legal fees.
Iain Gould, Acquah’s attorney, said that the police’s actions were a “gross over-reach of authority” and that they acted more like they were dealing with a suspected bank robber than a worn-out key employee who was just wanting to go home.
“I am mystified by the chief constable’s choice to reject an apologetic letter and instead pay out a larger check from what is, at the end of the day, public dollars,” Gould said.
Acquah spent almost ten years in the army, including missions in Afghanistan.
Speaking to The Times, a Hampshire police spokesman said, “We realise that we made a mistake and the arrest was unlawful.
At the beginning of the epidemic, we were all adjusting to unusually fast changes in the environment.
In order to assist and safeguard the NHS, we worked hard to comprehend and implement new rules as soon as they were released.
We recognise the effect this has had on him, but on this particular day, the interpretation of the rules was incorrect.