"a few seconds later they turned around and put cuffs on me"
A health worker called the police after a man began smashing up his neighbour’s property, only for officers to wrongly arrest and assault him.
Rasike Attanayake, from Romford, East London, is an audiologist who provides services to the NHS.
He had been at his clinic when he heard a loud noise outside.
When he headed outside, Rasike found his sideboards damaged. His neighbour also heard the noise and came outside.
He said: “We were talking about what may have gone wrong, and a white male came over with a shopping cart of glass bottles.
“I think he was angry with my neighbour for some reason. He was fixated and very very angry, he was throwing bottles at him and trying to hurt him.”
Rasike bravely put himself between the man and his neighbour and was initially able to convince the individual into the nearby homeless shelter.
Rasike went back inside his clinic but the man re-emerged and continued to cause trouble, so he called the police.
He told The Mirror: “I said there’s a man who’s attacking my friend next door, here’s the location and the description, white male, young to middle age, this is what he was doing.”
When police did not respond 20 minutes later, Rasike called back and the operator said police would be there soon.
The father of two exited his clinic through another entrance and warned some nearby bus drivers about the man.
A few minutes later, police arrived – PC Jonathan Marsh and an unnamed female officer.
Rasike explained the situation, only for PC Marsh to wrongfully arrest him and punch him in the head.
He said: “I walked up to them and introduced myself. I said I phoned them and that there’s an incident that happened and gave them the directions.
“The female cop went to move the car, and the man went looking for the suspect but a few seconds later they turned around and put cuffs on me, and kicked me in the thighs and put me on the ground.
“I think the police communication, they identified me as a suspect.
“The radio communications said I match the description of the suspect.
“I asked the female constable why I was under arrest and she said I match the description of a drunk and disorderly man and my breath stunk of alcohol.
“I’m tee-total, I’m a Buddhist, I don’t drink.
“I had been working, doing some admin for my clinic. I was not given a breathalyser test.”
Rasike described PC Marsh getting “angrier and angrier and angrier” as he repeatedly swore at him, with his knee on his back.
Fearing for his safety, Rasike added:
“As a Buddhist, you try to live your life without hurting anyone, you live and let live, you share what you can and that’s it.
“I was scared, I was scared, I thought this is how it’s going to go, it’s a nasty feeling.”
Originally from Sri Lanka, Rasike said of the incident:
“I never expected it from our police, I chose to live here, build my life here… some of my patients are policemen and women, that’s why I’m so surprised.
“I serve people from three police forces… I can’t comprehend why this has happened.”
Rasike was left surprised by the fact that the Met Police never apologised nor was PC Marsh suspended following his assault conviction.
Instead, he was put on desk duties pending a misconduct hearing that could see him lose his job.
But despite the ordeal, Rasike refuses to let his children speak ill of the police and maintains faith in the wider justice system.
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