A Nottinghamshire Police officer has been dismissed without notice after a gross misconduct hearing found he used excessive force against a 16-year-old girl during an incident in Arnold.
PC Kevin Markowski, who had been serving with Nottinghamshire Police, faced a two-day hearing at Force HQ in Sherwood Lodge. The hearing, which was open to both the press and the public, concluded on Thursday, 15 May, with a panel chaired by Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin, along with two independent panel members.
The incident in question occurred on 24 August 2022, when PC Markowski and a colleague responded to reports of a disturbance involving a teenage girl who was shouting and swearing in the street and allegedly threatening to ‘bang someone out’.
According to the hearing, PC Markowski approached the girl, instructing her to stop shouting and swearing before taking hold of her arm and leading her to the police car. It was alleged that during this interaction, PC Markowski banged the girl’s head against the police vehicle, causing injury, and placed his hands on her throat area on two occasions while restraining her in the back of the police car.
The panel determined that the force used was “unnecessary and disproportionate” and found that PC Markowski had breached standards of professional behaviour, including duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy, use of force, and discreditable conduct.
Throughout the hearing, PC Markowski maintained that the force he used was necessary, reasonable, and proportionate, asserting that his hands were on the girl’s chest rather than her throat and that he did not believe he was restricting her breathing.
In addition to the excessive force claims, PC Markowski was also described as “disrespectful and discourteous” for refusing to provide his collar number to a concerned member of the public during the incident.
Following the hearing, Mr Griffin issued a statement acknowledging the impact on the girl and her family, offering an apology for the trauma caused. He reiterated Nottinghamshire Police’s commitment to holding officers accountable, stating, “The vast majority of our employees maintain the highest possible professional standards, which makes it all the more important we address instances where an individual’s behaviour has fallen short of these expectations.”
As a result of the hearing’s findings, PC Markowski has been placed on the police barred list, ensuring he cannot serve as a police officer in the UK again.