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

A North Wales police officer who was filmed placing a suspect into a headlock and delivering nine rapid strikes to his head is facing a formal misconduct hearing regarding allegations of unreasonable and excessive force.

Police Constable Richard Williams appeared before a disciplinary panel at North Wales Police headquarters in Colwyn Bay to address eight specific allegations of misconduct. The disciplinary proceedings stem from his actions during the May 2023 arrest of Steven Clark, which prosecutors and professional standards investigators argue breached established standards for lawful physical restraint.

The internal disciplinary hearing takes place despite PC Williams having previously been cleared of criminal wrongdoing. In 2025, following a seven-day trial at Caernarfon Crown Court in Gwynedd, the officer was formally acquitted by a jury of criminal charges that included assault and intentional strangulation in connection with the same arrest.

The panel heard that the confrontation originated on a day in May 2023 when emergency services were dispatched to Porthmadog in Gwynedd. Responding officers were tasked with attending to an active report concerning a domestic dispute occurring in the local area.

Upon arriving at the scene, police personnel spoke with a woman who described Clark, who was 34 years old at the time of the incident, as being heavily intoxicated. She informed the responding officers that the suspect was "off his head on wacky backy" and raised concerns that he might have consumed other illicit substances prior to their arrival.

As officers attempted to take Clark into custody, the encounter quickly escalated into a severe physical struggle. The disciplinary hearing was informed that the situation took a significant turn during the attempted apprehension, leading to the suspect being brought down onto the pavement.

Among the specific charges brought forward, it is alleged that PC Williams applied handcuffs in a manner deliberately intended to inflict physical pain upon Clark's wrist. The panel was told that the suspect visibly winced and reacted in distress as a result of the pressure exerted through the mechanical restraints.

Further allegations center on the physical holds employed while attempting to subdue the suspect on the ground. The hearing was presented with evidence indicating that PC Williams placed Clark in an unapproved headlock or "choker" hold, gripping the man around his neck with one arm while applying physical force.

According to statements presented to the panel, Clark repeatedly voiced severe distress during the restraint maneuver. The suspect claimed that the pressure applied to his throat left him unable to breathe, and he subsequently stated during a formal police interview that he felt himself losing consciousness during the encounter.

The hearing was also detailed about a sequence of direct physical strikes delivered while the neck hold was maintained. It is alleged that PC Williams punched Clark nine times in the face or head with his free hand, an action characterized by the presenting case as an entirely unreasonable and excessive application of physical force under the circumstances.

The disciplinary panel was told that the nine punches were executed in exceptionally rapid succession. Presenters emphasized that the strikes constituted nine quick blows delivered without any pause, reflection, or reassessment period by the officer to evaluate whether continued severe force was necessary or lawful.

In addition to the physical strikes and upper-body holds, four separate allegations against PC Williams specifically address his use, or attempted use, of an incapacitant spray during the altercation. The presenting case contends that the deployment of the chemical agent was unjustified throughout the various stages of the arrest.

A further allegation relates to the manner in which Clark was transferred into police transport following the initial struggle on the ground. The panel was informed that Clark was forcefully thrown or dropped into the back of a police van by the officer while the suspect continued to offer physical resistance.

The disciplinary panel was presented with extensive visual evidence documenting the interaction from multiple perspectives. Members of the hearing reviewed several segments of footage recorded by police body-worn cameras alongside mobile phone video captured by civilian onlookers who witnessed the incident unfold in Porthmadog.

PC Williams denies all allegations of misconduct, maintaining that his actions during the dynamic and volatile confrontation were necessary and did not constitute an unreasonable use of force. Following the opening submissions and presentation of video evidence, the disciplinary hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.