Child X was playing with a brightly coloured plastic water gun with a younger sibling in the streets outside their home when a uniformed officer saw them and reported what he saw as a potential firearms incident.
As a result, two firearms units – from the Met and City of London Police – were deployed to the scene. A police van rammed Child X off his bicycle without any warning, knocking him to the ground. He was surrounded by armed officers who pointed their firearms at him, handcuffed and arrested him on suspicion of being in possession of a firearm.
Child X was de-arrested at the scene, once his mother arrived and challenged what was happening, but she too was treated with contempt by the officers when she sought an explanation for their conduct from them.
The MPS Directorate of Professional Standards has since confirmed that they are investigating Child X’s mother’s complaint about the incident, after the IOPC refused to conduct an independent investigation.
Read a statement by Child X’s mother here.
Child X and his family are represented by Catriona McGregor and Raju Bhatt of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors.
