North Wales Police Officer PC Richard Williams Faces Disciplinary Hearing Over Suspect Restraint and Punches

A North Wales police officer is currently facing a disciplinary tribunal over accusations that he exercised excessive and unreasonable force during an arrest, which involved restraining a man in a headlock and striking him multiple times in the head. PC Richard Williams appeared before a misconduct panel convened at the North Wales Police headquarters located in Colwyn Bay, where formal allegations concerning his operational conduct were outlined in detail.

The disciplinary proceedings center on a total of eight specific allegations stemming from the apprehension of Steven Clark. Among the charges presented to the panel are claims that the officer subjected Clark to a chokehold or headlock, repeatedly deployed or attempted to deploy an incapacitant spray, and improperly handled the suspect by throwing or dropping him into the back of a police transport van while Clark was struggling.

The internal hearing comes after a previous legal battle in which Williams was formally cleared of criminal wrongdoing. In 2025, the officer stood trial over a seven-day period in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, facing serious criminal charges of assault and intentional strangulation. Although a jury acquitted him of those criminal offenses, North Wales Police is now examining whether his actions nevertheless breached professional standards of policing.

The underlying incident dates back to May 2023, when officers were dispatched to an address in Porthmadog, located within Gwynedd, following reports of an ongoing domestic dispute. Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement personnel were tasked with assessing the disturbance and managing the individuals involved.

According to evidence submitted to the misconduct panel, a woman present at the location provided information to the attending officers about Clark, who was 34 years old at the time. She described him as being severely impaired by cannabis, stating he was "off his head on wacky backy," and suggested that he might also have consumed other illicit substances prior to police arrival.

The encounter subsequently escalated when officers attempted to place Clark under arrest. The misconduct hearing heard testimony indicating that the interaction quickly deteriorated, describing how the situation took a sharp turn and resulted in the suspect ending up on the ground as officers attempted to establish physical control over him.

During this ground struggle, it is alleged that Williams engaged in actions designed to induce severe discomfort. Specifically, the panel was told that the officer utilized handcuffs in a manner intended to inflict targeted pain upon Clark's wrist, prompting the suspect to wince visibly and physically react to the pressure being applied.

The presenting case against Williams placed significant emphasis on the physical restraint technique applied to Clark's neck. The tribunal was told that the officer placed the suspect in an unapproved headlock or "choker" hold, wrapping one arm around Clark's neck while continuing to exert control—a tactic the disciplinary panel heard constituted an entirely unreasonable use of physical force under the circumstances.

During subsequent police interviews, Clark described the terrifying physical impact of being held in the neck restraint. He claimed that the grip severely obstructed his airway, leaving him completely unable to breathe and causing him to feel as though he was on the verge of losing consciousness during the altercation on the ground.

In addition to the neck hold, the panel heard extensive details regarding a barrage of direct strikes delivered by Williams. It is alleged that while maintaining his grip around the suspect's neck with one arm, the officer used his other hand to deliver nine consecutive punches to Clark's face and head. The hearing was informed that these blows were delivered in rapid succession, with no pause or hesitation for the officer to reflect or assess whether the suspect had become compliant.

The scope of the misconduct charges extends further to the management of chemical control agents during the arrest. Four separate allegations among the eight leveled against Williams involve the improper use or attempted discharge of an incapacitant spray, raising questions over whether standard operating protocols were bypassed during the volatile confrontation.

The panel also reviewed allegations concerning how Clark was loaded into the police vehicle following his physical containment. It is alleged that as the suspect continued to resist officers, Williams threw or dropped him into the interior compartment of the police van, an act that investigators argue further demonstrated an unreasonable and disproportionate application of force.

To evaluate the validity of these allegations, the misconduct hearing was shown extensive video documentation capturing the confrontation from multiple perspectives. The panel reviewed synchronized footage recorded by official police body-worn cameras alongside mobile phone video clips captured by civilian onlookers who witnessed the incident unfold in Porthmadog.

Despite the gravity of the eight allegations, PC Williams maintains his innocence and firmly denies any professional wrongdoing or misuse of authority during the apprehension of Clark. His defense contends that his physical actions and defensive tactics during the dynamic and volatile encounter were justifiable responses to the resistance he faced.

Following the presentation of initial evidence and opening arguments concerning the May 2023 arrest, the disciplinary hearing at the Colwyn Bay headquarters was adjourned. Proceedings are scheduled to resume on Tuesday, when the panel will continue examining the evidence to determine whether Williams's conduct breached standards of professional behavior.