Officers cleared over boy's water pistol arrest

The actions of armed police who surrounded and arrested a black 13-year-old boy after an officer mistook his water pistol for a real gun were "reasonable in the circumstances", the Independent Office For Police Conduct (IOPC) has said.

The child, known as "Child X", was handcuffed and confronted by marksmen in Hackney, east London, in July last year.

The police watchdog, which launched an investigation following complaints from the boy's family, said although it was distressing for the child, there was no justification to discipline officers.

Child X's mother said the IOPC's findings were "extremely disappointing" and said the officers' response was due to his race.

In a statement released through lawyers, she said: "From the very day of this horrific incident, it was clear to me that the police would not have treated my son in the way that they did if he had been a white 13-year-old boy."

She had complained to the IOPC that her son had experienced "adultification" - when a child is treated like an adult - and discrimination.

The IOPC said its investigation found no evidence to suggest the officer who reported seeing the gun was influenced by the child's race.

The Met Police previously apologised for the "trauma" caused to the boy.

The IOPC said that at about 15:45 BST, a patrolling police officer reported seeing the boy pulling out "what appeared to be a handgun" and pointing it at a female on Buxton Road, before they both cycled off.

After the sighting was declared a firearms incident, a number of armed officers were sent to the scene to locate the boy, the report said.

When they saw him cycling towards them, they made "tactical contact" with him with a police vehicle, knocking him into a wall.

He was then surrounded by officers and arrested, although the toy gun was not found.

When the boy's mother appeared and explained he had been playing with a toy water pistol, he was de-arrested and his handcuffs removed, the watchdog said.

He later went to hospital to be treated for bruising.

IOPC regional director Charmaine Arbouin said the incident was "distressing" to the child but that the officers were trying to protect the public.

"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 IOPC said although the toy gun was blue and white, it had the appearance of a self-loading pistol of a type that were sometimes converted to fire live ammunition.

Ms Arbouin added: "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."

The Met Police's Det Ch Sup James Conway said officers "acted swiftly to deal with the potential threat".

"This incident shows just how difficult it can be to determine whether a firearm is real. The public would not wish us to hesitate in responding and risk a genuine firearm being used on the streets of London."

The boy's mother said she wanted the IOPC to look into the the "very obvious role" that her son's race played in the way the incident was handled.

"Unfortunately, the IOPC have shown themselves to be completely incapable of understanding what race discrimination is and how it actually operates in the way that black children are treated by the police," she said.

Campaign group the Alliance for Police Accountability also criticised the IOPC's findings and called for reforms.

Chairman Lee Jasper said: "This case exemplifies the failure of both the Metropolitan Police and the IOPC to protect black children and hold officers accountable for the harm they cause.

"How many more black children must suffer similar trauma before we see real change?"

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