Payout for wrongly-arrested firefighter

Feb 13 2007

A FIREFIGHTER from the West Midlands who was wrongly imprisoned and assaulted by police has been awarded £15,000 in compensation.

John James, 37, from Oldbury, near Birmingham, was injured after being "roughly" handcuffed by West Midlands Police as he queued in a McDonald's restaurant with his six-year-old son.

Officers accused him of drug dealing before twisting his arm behind his back and forcing him to his knees, a statement from his solicitor said.

He was then "forcibly" taken to a nearby police station following the incident in June 2004, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors said.

Mr James, who works for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, suffered numerous injuries from the incident and spent an hour in custody.

He also had to be treated in hospital after collapsing several days after his release from custody.

Mr James said: "I couldn't believe the treatment I received. The police officers were informed a black man was selling drugs from a blue car in the car park of the McDonald's.

"I was in the queue waiting to be served standing with my son when I was approached by the policeman intent on arresting me. I had done nothing wrong and was crying at the time from the pain from the handcuffs digging into my wrist."

Mr James, who said he was not read his rights or allowed to use the telephone at Smethwick police station, was given a fixed penalty notice for a public order offence and later released.

The firefighter denied any wrongdoing and the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case a year later.