THE father of a schoolboy who was slammed to the ground by a police officer has slammed a decision not to prosecute the policeman involved.
The incident took place at Glasgow’s Smithycroft Secondary School in April, with phone footage showing the boy’s head being smacked off a concrete floor.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been involved in a “scuffle” with another school pupil which had reportedly ended before the police officer intervened.
Following the incident, the boy’s family reported the officer to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner who launched a probe before submitting their findings to prosecutors.
However, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has concluded there was “insufficient evidence of assault”.
Speaking to the Daily Record, the boy’s 40-year-old father said: “My wife and I were shocked when we read the letter.
“We thought that having watched the video, there definitely would have been a different outcome.
“They said in the letter that this was done in a controlled manner, because the officer put his hand on my son’s back.
“But you can clearly see from the video that he removes it before my son’s head smashes into the ground.”
He said the family plans to appeal the decision not to prosecute and that his son has been left frightened since returning to school.
The father added: “If this is the sort of training that officers are taught to use on minors, then that’s something that Police Scotland should look at. It was definitely over the top.
“My son hasn’t really been back to school since it happened and we’re working on getting him a college placement.
“The school reviewed the CCTV footage from the incident and decided against any form of punishment for my son.
“He’s also never been in trouble with the police before. So I think we underestimated how much all of this has affected him.”
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said they reserve the right to prosecute in future “should further evidence become available”.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We are aware of the decision taken by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“The matter will now be considered by the Professional Standards Department.”
