Met to 'assess' footage of police 'striking at teenager' that shocked social media

12 June 2022, 14:30 | Updated: 12 June 2022, 14:49

A video of police officers repeatedly striking a person as they arrest them will be "assessed" by the Met.

Phone footage shows officers hitting a person several times as they haul him to the ground in a fenced-off garden, which was then posted online and shocked social media users.

The Met said police were called to Abbey Wood in south east London to a report of a child being robbed by a group of males on June 10.

The child was threatened with a bottle and police went to an address to "make arrest enquiries", the force said.

Footage shot from the opposite side of the street, from a viewpoint overlooking the garden, was shared by Carina White, a cultural commentator, showed police striking a person, who she said was "a friend of a friend's son".

"Hey Met Police, just wondering if this is reasonable and appropriate use of force to detain a 16 year old child? Kicking and punching???" she tweeted.

Warning: Clip contains strong language

"This was after school (it's study leave for GCSEs anyway) and he had gone to see if his friend was OK as he saw police in his garden and this is what the end result was.

"The police weren't even there for him."

The Met said property that had been reported as stolen in the incident was found at the address.

One 16-year-old tried to "make off" but was detained and arrested on suspicion of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon, the force added. He has been bailed pending more enquiries.

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"This will be assessed, along with the officers' body worn video footage, by officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards," a spokesperson said.

"All Met officers know that any use of force must be necessary and proportionate, and that they will be required to account for their actions."

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The video caused an outcry after Ms White, who protected her tweets, posted it online.

"It's the fact that he's down and they're still dropping blows, that gets me fuming," one Twitter user wrote.

"Wtf how are they gonna assault a teenager like that," said another.