Inquiry Launched into Allegations of PSNI Officer Kicking Teenager During Arrest

An inquiry is underway into the actions of Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers, prompted by a video that seemingly depicts a teenage boy being kicked in the head during an arrest. The 16-year-old boy was apprehended outside Time nightclub in Cookstown, County Tyrone, early Sunday morning on suspicion of assaulting police. The footage, initially reported by the Irish News and subsequently shared with BBC News NI, reportedly shows the boy restrained on the ground by one officer while a second officer delivers a single kick. The PSNI stated it informed the office of the Police Ombudsman about the incident. A spokesperson for the Police Ombudsman confirmed receipt of a complaint “which we will be investigating,” further noting that the PSNI had “notified of the matter.” The Ombudsman is urging any witnesses to the incident to come forward, expressing particular interest in speaking with individuals who recorded footage. A solicitor representing the boy asserted that the incident warrants immediate investigation and described it as “wholly wrong.” Gavin Booth added that it is “reprehensible for anyone to kick someone on the ground while they are detained.” The solicitor, affiliated with Phoenix Law, further stated that the officer involved “should not be on front-line duties while it is being investigated.” He explained that the boy and his friend had been ejected from a nightclub and were shouting in the street when police officers approached them. Mr Booth also commented that during this period of the year, most parents “will let their children go out thinking that the police are there to keep them safe,” and that such incidents erode that confidence. BBC News NI has learned that no officer has been removed from duty at this time. The PSNI reported the arrest of a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of three counts of assault on police following a disturbance in Cookstown in the early hours of Sunday. “The disturbance occurred after patrol officers stopped to assist an injured man in the James Street area.” “The boy was later released on bail to allow for further enquiries.” Linda Dillon, Sinn Féin’s assembly member for Mid Ulster, described the footage as “disgraceful and totally unacceptable.” “The PSNI need to review that footage as soon as possible and then they need to take the appropriate action immediately.” “This is not acceptable behaviour – this is a 16-year-old child at the end of the day, regardless of what happened preceding it.” Dillon also indicated her plan to bring up the incident at the Policing Board. Keith Buchanan, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member for Mid Ulster, stated the situation was “a matter for the ombudsman to investigate.” “It’s important we all wait until that outcome rather than acting as judge, jury and executioner.” “Every week there are thousands of officers keeping our streets safe and they do so in a professional manner in very difficult circumstances.” In a statement disseminated on social media, three independent republican councillors from the locality characterized the incident as a “disgraceful act of violence against a minor.”