Met PC jailed for assaulting man in hospital bed

A Metropolitan Police officer has been jailed for 12 weeks for assaulting a man who was handcuffed to a hospital bed.

PC Rajan Solanki, 28, was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to assault by beating, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

The police watchdog said the charge related to an incident in the early hours of 10 June 2024 when Solanki and another officer attended to a man who had been admitted to an east London hospital for a mental health assessment.

When the officers arrived, the man, who had allegedly been violent earlier that evening, had each wrist handcuffed to his hospital bed.

Solanki, of the Met's North East Area Command Unit, removed the man's right handcuff and later, when trying to reapply the handcuff, a struggle took place.

Body-worn video footage presented at court showed Solanki restraining the man and putting his arm around his neck in a choke-hold position.

The man appeared to be physically distressed and his breathing seemed to be restricted.

The video showed that Solanki had his arm around the man's neck for just over 20 seconds.

The police watchdog said as well as his jail sentence, the officer would also serve a 12-month probationary period after his release.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: "Officers are trained to use force that is reasonable and proportionate to the circumstances.

"In this incident, PC Solanki used unlawful force when he put his arm around a man's neck while he was handcuffed to a hospital bed.

"His actions could have had serious consequences, and he has now been convicted for assault."

The watchdog said it would be in touch with Scotland Yard over disciplinary matters "in due course".

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