North Wales Police Officer Faces Disciplinary Hearing Over Use of Force During 2023 Arrest

A police constable in Wales is facing a formal misconduct tribunal following allegations that he exercised unjustified and excessive physical force during the apprehension of a suspect, which included gripping the man around the neck and striking him repeatedly in the head.

PC Richard Williams appeared before a police misconduct hearing convened at the North Wales Police headquarters in Colwyn Bay. The disciplinary panel is examining eight formal allegations connected to the officer's conduct during the detention of Steven Clark, with the presenting case asserting that the measures employed during the incident were disproportionate and unreasonable.

The allegations against Williams encompass multiple applications of physical restraint and tactical force. Among the key accusations are the use of an unauthorized headlock or neck hold, several instances involving incapacitant spray, and the rough handling of Clark as he was transferred into the rear of a police vehicle.

Williams has formally denied all allegations of professional misconduct. The disciplinary proceedings follow earlier criminal proceedings in which the officer was tried at Caernarfon in Gwynedd in 2025. That seven-day criminal trial concluded with Williams being acquitted of charges of assault and intentional strangulation.

The incident at the center of the misconduct panel occurred in May 2023, when emergency personnel were dispatched to address reports of an escalating domestic dispute in Porthmadog, Gwynedd.

Upon arrival at the residential scene, responding officers were approached by an eyewitness who provided information regarding Clark’s condition. The woman informed the attending police officers that Clark, who was 34 years old at the time, was behaving erratically and appeared to be heavily intoxicated on cannabis and potentially other illicit substances.

According to evidence presented to the disciplinary panel, the encounter deteriorated rapidly once officers initiated the process of taking Clark into custody. A physical struggle ensued between the suspect and the officers, ultimately resulting in Clark being brought down to the ground.

During the ground struggle, Williams is alleged to have applied handcuffs in a manner intentionally calculated to cause severe pain to Clark’s wrist. The panel was told that this specific action caused Clark to wince in pain and visibly react while being held on the ground.

The hearing subsequently focused on the officer’s restraint techniques around Clark's upper body. Presenters alleged that Williams placed the suspect into a neck hold, often described as a headlock or "choker," a maneuver characterized at the hearing as an unreasonable and hazardous use of physical control.

Statements made during subsequent police interviews revealed that Clark believed his airway was severely restricted during the neck restraint. Clark reported that he experienced extreme difficulty breathing while being held and recalled feeling as though he was on the verge of losing consciousness.

The disciplinary panel was also presented with detailed accounts of the direct physical strikes delivered during the physical confrontation. Evidence indicated that Williams struck Clark in the head and facial area a total of nine times while keeping his other arm positioned around the man's neck.

The presenting case emphasized the speed and intensity of the physical strikes, describing them as nine rapid punches executed in quick succession. It was argued before the panel that the officer failed to pause between the strikes to reassess the suspect’s resistance, rendering the repeated punches an unreasonable application of force.

Beyond the headlock and physical strikes, Williams faces four separate allegations concerning the deployment or attempted deployment of incapacitant spray during the encounter. The panel is assessing whether the use of the chemical agent conformed to standard operational guidelines for managing non-compliant individuals.

A further allegation against the officer relates to the final stage of the arrest, during which Clark was loaded into custody transport. Presenting evidence asserts that while Clark continued to resist, he was inappropriately thrown or dropped into the back compartment of the police van.

Members of the misconduct panel were shown multiple video recordings documenting the confrontation from various angles. The visual evidence included high-definition footage captured by the responding officers' body-worn cameras alongside mobile phone video recorded by civilian bystanders at the scene.

The misconduct proceedings at North Wales Police headquarters were temporarily adjourned following the opening submissions and evidence review, with the disciplinary panel scheduled to resume the hearing on Tuesday.