The lawyer for a black man filmed being pinned down by a London police officer who appeared to kneel on his neck says that the force should apologise to his client, and claimed the incident "mirrors" the death of George Floyd in the US.
Marcus Coutain was detained on a London street on Thursday and charged with carrying a knife.
Video filmed by a bystander shows two officers holding the handcuffed man on the ground and one appears to be applying pressure to the man's neck with his knee.
The officer's hand is on the head of the man, who can be heard shouting "Get off me... get off my neck".
During a hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, Mr Coutain's lawyer Timur Rusten said the incident "mirrors almost identically what happened to George Floyd," a black man who died 25 May at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Mr Coutain, 48, indicated in court that he planned to plead not guilty.
The lawyer said Mr Coutain was carrying a knife to fix his bicycle.
A further hearing was set for 17 August.
Mr Rusten said outside court that prosecutors should drop the charge and apologise to Mr Coutain.
He said police had used "what I would regard as excessive force".
He said Mr Coutain suffered "fortunately minimal" injuries to his wrists and neck.
"Fortunately, it didn't lead to the tragic consequences that we saw in America," he said.
London's Metropolitan Police force said one officer had been suspended and another placed on restricted duties while the arrest is investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Steve House said the footage was "extremely disturbing."
"Some of the techniques used cause me great concern," Mr House said.
"They are not taught in police training."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for a swift and thorough inquiry into what he described as a "distressing" incident.
