The actions of armed police who arrested a 13-year-old boy after his water pistol was mistaken for a gun were reasonable in the circumstances, an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation has found.
Complaints from the child’s mother after the incident in Hackney, east London, on July 19, 2023 alleged her son, who is black, had been the subject of adultification and discrimination by the officers.
IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin 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.”
We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity.
At around 3.45pm that day, a Met officer reported 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.
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.
Shortly before 4pm, armed response officers saw the child alone on Buxted Road cycling towards them and used their vehicle to make tactical contact with his bicycle at low speed, which knocked the child into a wall.
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”. At the same time 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 spoke to the officers at the scene and confirmed her son had been playing with a water pistol.
The boy was de-arrested, his handcuffs were removed and officers left the scene.
He went to hospital and was treated for bruising and swelling due to the collision with the police vehicle.
Ms Arbouin said: “We know that this incident was distressing 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.”