Armed police who knocked a 13-year-old boy off his bicycle and arrested him after he pointed a water pistol at a woman have had their actions declared “reasonable” by the police watchdog.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation when the boy’s mother complained about the adultification and discrimination against her black son during the arrest, in Hackney, east London.
The teenager was hit by a police vehicle during a tactical stop as he cycled alone on Buxted Road on 19 July 2023.
He was taken to hospital with bruising and swelling due to the collision with the police vehicle.
The arrest came after a Met officer reported that they had seen a male on a bicycle pull out what appeared to be a handgun and point it at a female on Buxted Road, before they both cycled off.
On the report he described the firearm as “blue and white” and “shaped like a glock” and the male’s age as approximately 16.
The matter was declared a firearms incident by a tactical firearms commander and armed officers from both the Met and the City of London Police were sent to the area to locate the child.
After hitting the boy off his bike he was surrounded by armed officers with their weapons drawn and was arrested and handcuffed on the ground.
An officer asked the child where the gun was and he said it was a water gun and “it’s at home”. During the arrest a member of the public can be heard repeatedly telling the officers that the child had a water gun.
The child was searched and no item was found. The child’s mother confirmed that her son had been playing with a water pistol. The boy was dearrested, his handcuffs were removed and officers left the scene.
An IOPC spokesman said an investigation ruled that the evidence supported the officer’s concern that the water pistol he saw could appear to have been a genuine firearm.
The officer told the watchdog that while the toy was blue and white, he knew that firearms could be adapted or made colourful to avoid suspicion.
A firearms expert from the National Crime Agency, stated that the water pistol had the general appearance of a self-loading pistol – similar to blank firers, which are available for retail purchase and have been found by police as being converted to fire live ammunition.
The IOPC also ruled the tactical stop which injured the boy was “appropriate” given that the officer had an honestly held belief that the child had a firearm.
The officer who reported seeing the toy told investigators that he saw what he believed to be a firearm.
He denied that his report was influenced by the child’s ethnicity and also denied allegations of adultification, given that he reported the male as being a child, aged around 16.
The IOPC found no evidence to suggest the officer’s calling in of the boy playing with the water gun was influenced by the child’s race.
IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin acknowledged the arrest caused distress to the child involved and his family.
“Being arrested, handcuffed and searched by armed officers would have been a frightening experience for anyone, let alone a 13-year-old. We note the Met Police has apologised to the boy’s family for the distress caused,” she said.
“Police officers have a duty to protect the public from harm and the evidence from our investigation supported the first officer’s belief that he thought he may have seen a real firearm.
“The decision to send armed officers to the scene following the report of a firearm was in line with guidance and, based on the evidence we obtained, we found no indication that any officers behaved in a manner that would justify bringing disciplinary proceedings.”
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