A police officer who grabbed an innocent teenage boy by the throat after telling him to “go to bed” has been convicted of assault. PC Bejamin Heppenstall, 33, assaulted the boy while on duty at an incident at a care home for young people in Wigan in January 2021. A trial at Bolton Crown Court heard he assaulted the boy after arriving at the care home, where threats had allegedly been made to two women who work there and arrested two suspects.
Detective Chief Inspector Iqbal Ahmed, of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “This was a shocking use of unnecessary and excessive force by Benjamin Heppenstall on a defenceless teenage boy who absolutely should not have been treated this way. “Our officers have a really challenging role and are faced with instances that the general public will never experience. The trial took place at Bolton Crown Court (Image: Newsquest) “However, officers are trained to act professionally and proportionately, and it is clear here that PC Heppenstall acted beyond what was necessary when faced with a verbal refusal by the boy to do what he had told him to do.
“A significant part of this case was the body-worn footage captured on PC Heppenstall’s camera, which goes to show that this important equipment, which every frontline officer has, is not just for their protection, but also for the public’s protection too.” The jury was played footage from Heppenstall’s body-worn camera which showed how after he arrested two suspe.
