Getting out of handcuffs?

When I got arrested last year, the six officers who came to my house didn’t cuff me. I asked them not to because my DD2 was upset and I pointed out that, as a middle aged woman, I was hardly likely to be a flight risk.

I’d be asking some questions of the police if I were you.

Handcuffs are probably designed for the average sized male and hence why a woman with much smaller hands could probably slip them off with little effort.

I've been handcuffed at the back once and they where very tight I had marks from them for days after. They can loosen or tighten them but they obviously didn't feel like you where a risk to them or a flight risk so didn't worry to much about how they put them on

Even if it was a detainment rather than an arrest they still have to have a lawful reason for detention. They can’t just do it. So they can do a stop and search, or to prevent a breach of the peace, or under the mental health act. They’re not allowed to just detain you while deciding what to do.

https://iaingould.co.uk/2021/07/09/can-police-officers-detain-you-whilst-deciding-whether-or-not-to-arrest-you/

You've been cuffed many many times? How intriguing

Well if it’s what you said it sounds like it may possibly have been an illegal arrest. They have to have reasonable suspicion that you have committed a crime and I’m not sure thinking there was someone at your house is reasonable suspicion. You could get a good compensation payout.

but in answer to your question I have EDS and can collapse my hands in sideways and they are no wider than my wrists. I reckon I could get out of handcuffs.

As one or two here have said - now that the novelty of being handcuffed and escaping has worn off I think you need to be asking a few questions.

Mainly, what on earth was going on, why were they at your address, why were your arrested?

They should have their camera's switched on and so there should be some evidence of events.

Any queries you have should be aimed at someone fairly high up the chain - not just the staff on the desk.

You are so nonplussed descriping what would be a terrifying, horrific, ordeal.
Police barging into a house, putting the homeowner in handcuffs, searching a house and shouting into the loft. Then taking them off and leaving. Surely to goodness you'd have gone to the police station today to look for an explanation.
Are you involved with drugs or criminals?

Sounds very much like you were detained , rather than arrested to be honest , and yes there is very much of a difference. They probably cuffed you to be on the safe side , as plenty of officers have found out that women will assault them as well as men.

If they thought there was someone unlawfully at large in your house , then their powers of entry fall under section 17 of PACE , and don’t require a warrant . Neither does gaining entry to save life and limb , which if they believe there was a disturbance going on, would be their justification. Did they actually tell you in words that you were arrested ?

Sounds like quite an adventure!

Sounds like you were just being detained until they figured out what was going on, not arrested.

I don’t know about police procedure.

But there’s got to be a spot for you on Britain’s Got Talent. Can you escape from chains in a big tank of water too? Or maybe wriggle out of a straitjacket?

So police came into your house looking for someone and just arrested you and handcuffed you for no reason? Yeah right 🙄

Did they count to 10 first 🤣🤣

Id also contact the force just to check this was indeed an official police visit.

Wiser people than me will know, but this seems like an unlawful arrest. Which I think you can sue for. Might be worth looking into.

Surely they’d need a warrant to search your house? Did they show this? Otherwise I’m another one thinking they may not have been real police. I mean, what kind of a search is “I know you’re in there Harold”? Did they count to ten first?

Surely it is worth reporting this situation for wrongful arrest.

They do have a right to enter without a warrant , actually. But if they were actually really police officers looking for an offender who was at large, they should have explained the circs, given ground for arrest if she was arrested , and cautioned her. If they then realised they were at the wrong address they should have explained what had happened, why it had happened , and apologised. I would phone and make a complaint and get them to check the BWV

Yeah, nah.

She was apparently arrested so she should've stayed in the cuffs until she was de-arrested.

Not that she knows what she was arrested or de-arrested for, just that the police were apparently shouting into the loft that they knew the man they were looking for was in there, rather than actually searching it.

If they did cuff her, it wasn't for shits and giggles.

Honestly if this went down as you describe I think I'd be putting in a complaint.
They had no right to enter and search your house without a warrant. And handcuffing you? Just bizzare.

I also have hyper mobility and small hands, reckon I could easily get out of handcuffs.

I know Mumsnet generally places an extraordinary amount of faith in the police, and rules in general, but I still can't quite believe you are telling her that it was her responsibility, when the police erroneously entered her house close to midnight on Christmas Eve, frightening her disabled children, and placed her painfully in handcuffs for absolutely no fucking reason, to retain those handcuffs on her wrists so as to avoid any form of disobedience to authority?

You do know what this kind of blind obedience to the rules can lead to, right?

I had cuffs put on me demonstrating at a youth event I was leading with the community policing team and I could get my hands out (in front of me not behind) the police officer was surprised but said cuffs are principally made to restraint men, I have mild level (if that’s the right term) hyper mobility and other weirdness