Getting out of handcuffs?

[FrostedWoods]

This is such a bizarre thing to write about but hear me out!

Had a weird situation with the police last night. Won't fully go into it but they mistakenly thought there was a criminal in my house and I was arrested then unarrested when they realised their mistake. I was put into handcuffs. I have hypermobility. And I think due to this I could get out of the cuffs pretty easily. Has anyone else experienced this?

I was so suprised at how easy they are to get out of. Do they have any kind of back up if they really need to keep someone secure? Just keep thinking about it! 😄

If you go to Youtube and watch videos of traffic arrests in the US you'll often see people (ususally women) who've been handcuffed getting out of the handcuffs no trouble whatsoever. Handcuffed in front or behind makes no difference.

Sounds as though there was a report of someone at an address (believed to be yours ) assisting an offender unlawfully at large. But in order to arrest and detain you, they would have needed to tell you the griunds for arrest and caution you. If they didn’t do either of these things I would phone and make a complaint. certainly in our force all police wear BWV now so this can be checked.

And you should cuff at the rear but many criminals complain as when they are transported it hurts due to being behind their back- however it’s much safer for the police to do it this way.

Say “no arm done” and send them on their way ? 🤔

No, they don’t need a warrant.

FAFO- Fuck around and find out 👊

They do use zipties sometimes so I image they could’ve used them if you kept escaping them and were actually needing to be cuffed

Are you being serious?!!! Suspects are handcuffed according to how serious their suspected crime is ?? So a murderer would be handcuffed more tightly than a burglar for instance . 😅

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

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?

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.

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.

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

Surely it is worth reporting this situation for wrongful arrest.

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?

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.

Did they count to 10 first 🤣🤣

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

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

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?

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

Sounds like quite an adventure!

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 ?

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?