On the evening of Wed 27th May 2009 at 7.30pm, I was travelling in my fully insured, taxed and MOT'd car to my house, having just picked up my friend who lives about a mile from me. We were intending to watch the Champions League Final between Man Utd and Barcelona.
I had already noticed a convoy of Police vehicles patrolling the area on my way to my friends house, and on our way back to my house we were suddenly surrounded by three Police vehicles at a junction and signalled to pull over.
I drove across the junction and pulled onto the left, and Police vehicle stopped behind me and a Matrix minbus pulled up in front. I switched off my engine, undid my seatbelt, got out of my car and stepped onto the pavement to ask an Officer why I had been stopped by three Police vehicles, as we were simply going home to watch the match which kicked off in less than ten minutes and we had not been observed or had we been breaking the law.
An Officer(PC Mark Andrew Gibbs 1039) replied, "We don't need a reason, we can pull anyone, anytime, We are the Police." Another Officer (Sgt Charlie Tennant 1122) approached me and asked what my name was, I replied that I shouldn't have to give my name yet, as I have not been told the reason for the stop.
This Officer then grabbed hold of both my wrists, dragged me to the Matrix van and assaulted me by pushing me inside the vehicle. I was then threatened with violence by both Officers, who informed me in no uncertain terms "not to mess with them".
As I was concerned that I was going to be further physically assaulted, I proceeded to give them my details and I informed them of the fact that I had never been in trouble with the Police in my life, but I was not believed. I was then bundled into a Police carrier, made to sit on the floor, handcuffed, whilst these two officers and another two (namely PC Joanne Kelly 2782 and PC Jason Jones 5899) continued to behave abusive and threatening, attempting to provoke me and treating me with absolute disrespect.
My car was left unlocked where I'd been stopped and I was then handcuffed and driven 5 miles away, being threatened all the way, without being told the reason for my detainment, taken to a Police station, where I was denied a phone call to my family, stripped searched, fingerprinted, eye scanned, face scanned and DNA taken, all without my consent and locked in a cell for five hours, all for asking why I had been stopped.
After all this, I was then given a notice reqesting that I pay £80 or come to a court and "defend" "my" disorderly behaviour, and left to make my own way home from 5 miles away.
© The Huyton Freeman 2009
Five Police Officers from Merseysides Matrix squad (pictured) were today sacked from the force.
