A lawyer on duty shared a terrifying ordeal where he was restrained by “four or five” court security personnel, despite his plea that he could not breathe.
Dele Johnson, a defense lawyer, spoke with The Law Society Gazette and explained how guards held him down with their knees after he declined a security search request to remove his shoes.
The incident occurred while Johnson was carrying out his responsibilities at the Youth Court at Stratford Magistrates’ on Wednesday, May 1.
He informed the Gazette that he believed “for about 30 seconds that I was in danger.”
37-year-old Johnson drew a comparison between his ordeal and the tragic event involving George Floyd, whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I never thought I'd also be saying ‘I can’t breathe’,” remarked Mr. Johnson. ‘I was just trying to do my job.”
The London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association has expressed worries, stating that lawyers might boycott the court if the guards reportedly involved in the assault on Johnson are not suspended by the private company OCS.
Johnson’s ID card was verified when he arrived as a duty youth court lawyer on Wednesday.
After briefly leaving the building for a cigarette break, he agreed to a pat-down search upon his return but refused to take off his shoes, resulting in a confrontation with four guards who removed him by force.
Despite having a defendant awaiting his representation, Johnson tried to re-enter the building through a side door, only to be intercepted by “four or five” guards.
During the court proceedings, Johnson mentioned that security personnel had entered the courtroom. He had a sense that this was probably related to him.
After the court proceedings, Johnson left the courtroom and conversed with fellow representatives.
When he arrived, the security personnel denied him entry.
Johnson recounted, “One of the security officers blocked me as I attempted to go to court number 10.”
Johnson, who used the second door to try to enter, added, “He pushed me and I asked “What are you doing?”. I attempted to go through the other door, and he pushed me and said “You’re not going in”. Then somebody seized my neck, another person gripped my arm.”
Johnson mentioned that at this point, “four or five” guards seized him.
He mentioned, “I was saying “you need to let me go” but it got worse. I said, “If you do not let go of me, I will have to defend myself”. I started swinging. I felt like I was fighting for my life against five grown men to stop them from holding me and grabbing me.
“Eventually, they restrained me on the ground, and it hurt a little bit. There were quite a few grown men on my back. Their knees were on my arms, legs, and back.
“I have asthma, my chest was being pushed to the floor so now I am struggling to breathe.
“I never thought I would be the one saying “I cannot breathe”.
“I was just trying to do my job. It was my duty to be there.”
According to Johnson, he couldn’t recall the exact moment when the security guards released him from the ground, but he did remember that the presence of the police at the court put an end to the situation.
The event happened two weeks after lawyer Katie McFadden revealed on X.com that security personnel at Stratford Magistrate's Court insisted on doing thorough pat-down searches, including checking under her dress.
McFadden posted on Twitter that during a search earlier this year, security staff felt 'my legs under my dress all the way up to my groin.'
Female lawyers are protesting highly invasive pat-down searches at Stratford Magistrates’ Court in East London, according to the Daily Mail.
An anonymous barrister told The Mail on Sunday that security personnel at the court behave like 'nightclub bouncers'.
Another barrister mentioned, “Some are thinking of a boycott here.”
Daily Mail reports that His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice, has responded to the situation.
‘These are serious complaints we are urgently investigating as a priority. Our security measures are designed to protect all court users and are under constant review,” he said.
