UPDATE: |Mum whose ‘terrified’ son was ‘grabbed by police officer’ in chaotic footage hits out News

The incident erupted on Edward Avenue in Salford involving a group of teens and a lone officer

A mum whose ‘terrified’ son was ‘grabbed by a police officer’ in a chaotic video filmed in Salford has hit out and claims she has made a complaint to Greater Manchester Police.

It came after an officer, who was responding to reports of young people harassing a shop worker, was called out to Salford on Monday (April 14) but became embroiled in a face-off with the youths, which was then filmed and posted on social media.

The incident erupted on Edward Avenue, with the footage showing the officer attempting to fight off teens as he was arresting a 14-year-old girl.

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At one part of the clip, the officer appears to grab a teenage boy who is leaning against the fence. The teen can be seen putting his hands up as if to swipe away the officer’s hand, before surrendering as he is pulled around by his jacket.

Greater Manchester Police said the officer had been approached by the group who had begun ‘disrupting the arrest’ and caused a ‘challenging situation’.

But the mum of the teenage boy, aged 13, has since hit out claiming her son was ‘not posing a threat’ in the footage when he was grabbed by the officer, and now says she has made a complaint to police.

She claims she was not informed her son, who she says was not actually arrested, was involved in the incident and only found out after being sent the footage online.

“Before he [the officer] gripped my son, you can see there was no threatening behaviour. I understand the officer may have felt intimidated, but why didn’t he just keep walking back to the car with the girl he arrested?” the mum, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

“We don’t know what went on before it, and I have complained to the police and asked for the details. My son wasn’t arrested or brought home by police, so why was he grabbed like that?

“I know my own son would not lunge at a grown man. But I am also not stupid or in denial. I’m not one of those that says ‘my blue-eyed child is an angel’. If he’s done something, then he’s done something. But why wasn’t he arrested then?

“He was just standing there. He looked terrified and had the fear put in him. You can see him putting his arms up.

“This is my question to the police. If he’d committed a crime, he would’ve been arrested and taken down to the station, but he wasn’t. At the end of the day, he is a minor. As a parent, I’d like to know if he has done something wrong.

“I have told the police if they can show me a video or evidence of him doing anything wrong, in any shape or form, then I’ll hold my hands up.”

Footage, shared widely on social media, showed another two youths in the group run over to the officer and attempt to pull him away from two other teenagers he had hold of. The officer then appears to kick one of the group, causing them to fall backwards, before pushing off another youth who is also sent tumbling to the ground.

Screams of “get off him” could be heard as the officer was seen attempting to escort the arrested teenage girl to the police car parked nearby.

The force said it received a complaint regarding the incident which is being assessed by the Professional Standards Directorate. They are also accessing the officer’s body-worn camera footage.

The 14-year-old girl who was arrested was later de-arrested and taken home after the victim, who had pressed the panic alarm in the shop, failed to support the investigation.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 4.45pm on Monday, April 14, we swiftly responded to the activation of a panic alarm by a shop worker on Edward Avenue, Salford.

“It was reported that a group of young people had been harassing the worker and attempting to shoplift the store. On attendance, the responding officer arrested a female, aged 14, in connection with this report. The officer was approached by a group who were disrupting this arrest in what was a challenging situation.

“We are in receipt of a complaint in relation to this incident which our Professional Standards Directorate are currently reviewing by assessing all relevant material including body-worn video.

“Whilst on this occasion, the victim did not seek to support further investigation into the report and the girl was de-arrested and take home with no further action, we are committed to responding to reports of shop lifting and taking action to keep shop workers safe.”

GMP has been approached for a comment.