A video has emerged of a police officer appearing to strike a disabled man in a wheelchair.
The incident happened between 5pm and 6pm on Monday, May 20, outside a Londis shop on the corner of St Peters Road and King Street in Great Yarmouth.
Norfolk Police said they are investigating the conduct of the officer following the circulation of the video.
Witnesses said the incident began after the man in the wheelchair, who is disabled with only one leg, was seen in the middle of the road, holding a bottle of alcohol.
It is understood the police officer then arrived on the scene and started pushing the man back onto the path, near the Londis shop.
Norfolk Police said the man threatened the officer with a bottle and spat at him.
According to witnesses, the man in the wheelchair, who was still holding the bottle, moved as though he was about to get up before the officer took the bottle and started "pushing and punching him".
Diari 'Jay' Salih, 40, who runs a barbershop opposite where the altercation happened, said onlookers were shocked by the incident.
He said when he saw what was happening he approached the police officer and told him to stop.
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"Nobody's happy about this. I can't get the image out of my head. People around here now do not feel safe with the police," Mr Diari said.
He also said that the man in the wheelchair was pepper sprayed multiple times.
A spokesperson for Norfolk Police said the incident happened at 5.16pm when an officer on patrol came across a man being verbally abusive in the street.
The force said that during the incident, the man "threatened him with a bottle and subsequently spat at the officer".
Local Policing Commander Chief Inspector Matt Dyson said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media.
"The matter has been referred to the Professional Standards Department and we are carrying out a thorough investigation of the circumstances including a review of the officer’s body worn video."
The force will also be referring the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
“We recognise the public concern around the level of force used in this incident and this will form part of our investigation," the chief inspector said.
Another woman who works in the area and witnessed the incident said: "The man in the wheelchair is around here a lot of the time.
"Everybody knows him here.
"He had a bottle of alcohol in his hands. He was in the middle of the street. The police officer came from around the corner and pushed him to the corner.
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"The man in the wheelchair did a movement like he was going to get up. Then the police officer started pushing and punching."
She added that a van with more police then arrived and the man in the wheelchair was eventually arrested, the whole incident lasting about 40 minutes.
Another woman said the man in the wheelchair did not appear to be armed and that his bottle was not broken.
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Following the incident, a man in his 30s was arrested for a Section 5 public order offence of causing harassment. alarm, or distress and assaulting an emergency worker.
He was taken to Great Yarmouth police station for questioning where he remains.
If anyone has any information in relation to the incident or footage please contact professionalstandards@norfolk.police.uk quoting reference: NC-20052024-329
The law allows officers to use 'reasonable force' when carrying out their role of law enforcement.
This provision is under Section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, which states: "A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large."
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