Police officer charged with assaulting suspect
Getty ImagesA West Yorkshire Police officer has been charged with assault after a man was allegedly kicked unconscious during an arrest.
PC James Barnes, 30, of Thatch Close in Selby, is due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Thursday after he was charged with actual bodily harm.
The charge relates to an incident in Leeds on 28 September 2025 when Barnes and a colleague stopped a motorist they suspected of driving while intoxicated.
After leading the suspected drink driver away from the vehicle, the man was allegedly kicked in the head, and he appeared to lose consciousness for several minutes, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
A passenger in the vehicle was also stopped by the other officer.
Barnes was referred to the IOPC by West Yorkshire Police on 29 September 2025.
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