Officer Cleared in Punching Incident, Returns to Duty

A police officer filmed punching a man nine times during an arrest has been cleared of all misconduct allegations and will return to his duties. PC Richard Williams, 44, faced disciplinary action after footage emerged showing him restraining Steven Clark, 34, in Porthmadog, North Wales, in May 2023.

The video depicted Clark being told to stop resisting as Williams repeatedly struck him on the side of the head while attempting to restrain him. Police were called to the scene following a report that Clark was attempting to enter a house after a domestic argument. Officers were also informed that Clark was under the influence of drugs and had a history of making violent threats.

Williams was accused of using excessive force and was suspended pending an investigation. He faced nine allegations of misconduct and was also tried at Caernarfon Crown Court, where he was acquitted of intentional strangulation and assault causing actual bodily harm. A subsequent misconduct hearing found that the allegations against him were not proven.

During the disciplinary panel hearing, Williams defended his actions as 'distraction strikes' aimed at gaining control when Clark resisted arrest. He stated he was unable to access his baton or Taser during the confrontation and was concerned for his safety and that of his colleague. Williams explained his intention was to briefly distract Clark to facilitate the arrest, emphasizing he did not want to use a single, potentially more forceful, blow.

Clark provided testimony during the hearing, recounting that he remembered little of the confrontation other than calling for help and feeling unable to breathe. He also stated that nerve damage in his right arm from a previous motorcycle accident made certain movements painful, and that he had requested to be handcuffed in front of his body, a request he claimed was not followed.

A separate video clip showed Clark being led to a police van with visible swelling to his eye and face. Following his release from police custody, Clark became emotional when describing his recollection of the incident.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct preceded the misconduct hearing and the criminal proceedings. Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison of North Wales Police stated that both the criminal and misconduct processes have concluded. He acknowledged the public scrutiny police officers face and the challenging situations they encounter in their work to keep the public safe.