A former police officer has been found not guilty of assaulting an autistic man during an arrest in December 2022. Shaun Elliott, 56, who was a Derbyshire Police constable at the time, was cleared of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after a trial at Derby Crown Court on Thursday.
Mr Elliott told jurors he had a "lawful purpose" to strike Kian Green in the back of a police van outside Buxton Police Station. He stated he was trying to "neutralise the threat" from Mr Green, who he believed was going to bite his colleague.
Footage released by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) during the trial showed the arrest and Mr Elliott striking Mr Green with his baton. Mr Green, who jurors heard has autism, cerebral palsy, and asthma, was apprehended after visiting the police station for help with a letter.
After the verdict, Judge Martin Hurst told Mr Elliott, now retired, that he was acquitted and the matter was concluded.