A video appearing to show Metropolitan Police raining down blows on a young suspect during an arrest has sparked anger on social media.
The phone footage taken by witnesses reveals Met officers striking the male at least seven times before pushing him down to the ground and arresting him. The incident purportedly occurred in Abbey Wood, south-east London.
Media commentator Carina White shared the video on Twitter, adding a caption that questioned whether this was a “reasonable and appropriate use of force to detain a 16-year-old.”
White added that the suspect, ostensibly a GCSE student, was “a friend of a friend’s son”. According to her, the incident took place when the teenager went to visit a friend.
“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,” stated White.
She was joined by others on social media who found the footage disturbing.
Some fumed that despite the “suspect” already being down, the Met police officers appeared to be continuing to pummel him.
Others called for an inquiry into the incident.
The Met has declined to offer an official comment regarding the incident which had been filmed.