24-05-2025
Police officer banned after ‘dragging' woman out of home in ‘state of undress'
A WEST Midlands Police officer has been dismissed from the force after he was found to have 'dragged' a woman out of her home while she was in a 'partial state of undress'.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) banned PC Paul Littler from policing after an investigation found he had dragged from a Birmingham property using handcuffs and left her on a driveway in a partial state of undress after she disputed her eviction.
Gross misconduct allegations were proven against him at a hearing arranged by the force on Wednesday (May 21).
A disciplinary panel led by an independent and legally qualified chair heard that PC Littler disregarded the woman's protests when she tried to show him evidence on her mobile of her right to stay at the property.
He told her: 'I am the police, I can make up stuff as I go along, can't I?', and 'I've read it, you are still getting dragged out'.
IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: 'PC Littler was in a position of trust but he treated the woman with a lack of respect despite her being at a multi-occupancy property housing people with vulnerabilities.
'As she was being dragged outside, she told police she was she was a Muslim, hijab-wearing woman, and that she had no trousers on.
'The panel agreed this was undignified and that the officer failed to respect her request for modesty.
'Allegations that dragging her in handcuffs was inappropriate and that PC Littler used language indicating he would abuse his power as a police officer were also found proven.'
PC Littler was dismissed without notice after he was found to have breached police professional standards of behaviour for duties and responsibilities.
Evidence the IOPC gathered showed that police were responding to a report that the landlord had been barricaded into the property in November 2022, however, on arrival, they found that was not the case and the woman was sitting on the floor in the hallway, refusing to leave.
PC Littler was already on a final written warning from a previous, unrelated incident, therefore, he was brought before a gross misconduct hearing.
The IPOC ruled the woman had not been discriminated against or treated less favourably because of her race.
It also found a case to answer for misconduct for another constable over their communication with the woman during the incident and their role in dragging her from the property.
A misconduct meeting for the officer could not be arranged until the conclusion of these proceedings, and it will now be organised by the force.
