Cyclist pepper-sprayed and punched by sergeant in unlawful stop and search

A cyclist was ‘pepper sprayed and ferociously punched’ by two police officers during an unlawful lockdown stop and search.

Footage shows West Midlands Police officer Declan Jones punching and kicking cyclist Michael Rose in Birmingham, whilst Sergeant Jennifer Edwards pepper sprayed him twice in April 2020.

The force’s disciplinary panel heard Mr Rose was ‘walloped and ferociously punched’ on Frederick Road.

Jones was jailed for the assault, which he committed less than 24 hours before attacking a 15-year-old schoolboy.

He killed himself shortly after he was released from prison in December 2021.

Jones had been due to stand trial for a third assault in October 2022.

Edwards managed to keep her job – despite being found to have committed misconduct over the attack.

Michael Rose was dragged off his bike before being beaten (Picture: SWNS)

CCTV shows Mr Rose being dragged off of his bike and being walked over to the police car.

He was repeatedly punched in the back by Jones whilst Edwards pinned him against the car’s bonnet.

Jones also banged Mr Rose’s head against the bonnet, and kneed him from behind.

The attack was so brutal passers-by pleaded with the officers to stop, including one who is seen trying to calm the situation.

Giving evidence at the proceedings, the victim said he felt uncomfortable because the officers were not wearing face masks, but he insisted he had ‘nothing to hide’. 

‘That’s why I didn’t move,’ he said. ‘I had nothing to hide so I stayed there. I had never been stopped by the police before. That was the first time I had ever been.’

Sergeant Jennifer Edwards was given a final written warning (Picture: Birmingham Live/BPM MEDIA)

He added: ‘They had no masks. I was trying to keep myself away from them. They were roughing me up. I didn’t want them in my face.

‘I was being roughed up for no reason. He slammed me against the car. Look, he is pushing my face down. He is taking off my mask and breathing in my face.’

Later on in the video, Mr Rose’s stepfather Bernard Jones could be seen confronting Sgt Edwards and PC Jones.

Giving evidence, Mr Jones – who lived on Frederick Road – described the attack as ‘vicious’.

‘He wasn’t resisting,’ Mr Jones said. ‘He was telling people to keep their distance. [PC Jones] walloped him three times with full force. Mikey is only a little thing.’

Jones died by suicide shortly after being released from prison in December 2021 (Picture: PA)

Michelle Heeley, defending Sgt Edwards, said she had been talking to Mr Rose ‘nicely and helped him with his injuries’.

But Mr Rose shot back: ‘Does that look like they’re talking to me nicely? It looks like he’s punching me. I said to wait until the witness comes. Why was he handcuffing me when the witness had not come to see if the bike had been stolen or not?’

A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct said: ‘At a two-day misconduct hearing organised by the force, which concluded on Tuesday, February 7, PS Edwards was found to have breached police standards of professional behaviour for use of force at the lower level of misconduct. 

‘The independently chaired disciplinary panel ruled that the officer’s actions amounted to misconduct – rather than gross misconduct – and handed PS Edwards a final written warning which will stay on her record for four years.’

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‘I was being roughed up for no reason. He slammed me against the car.’