Two PSNI officers filmed dragging an apparently incapacitated woman from the middle of the road and leaving her in a bus lane have been repositioned to different duties pending the outcome of an investigation.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it moved the officers on the recommendation of Police Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire, who is independently examining the video footage taken in Derry.
The officers have been switched to positions where they will not have direct contact with the public.
PSNI Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Alistair Finlay insisted the repositioning of the officers was done “without any prejudice” to them or the ombudsman’s probe.
He said the move would be reviewed once Dr Maguire had concluded his investigation.
The footage filmed by a member of the public and posted on the internet is understood to have been taken in Derry’s John Street on St Patrick’s Day on Monday.
It appears to capture two officers lifting 23-year-old Bridget Mongan and placing her in a clearly marked area for buses to pull in.
They then got into an unmarked car and drove off while Ms Mongan remained lying in the lay-by, only a few feet from the pavement.
Ms Mongan has conceded she was drunk but has heavily criticised the officers for leaving her on the road, calling for them to be sacked.
It is understood the incident unfolded after the woman’s partner was arrested by the officers and she challenged their actions.
Moments before she was filmed apparently prone on the road, video footage taken from another angle appeared to show her running at the police car.