A police officer who used CS spray when arresting a 13-year-old boy has been given a written warning.
The Greater Manchester Police officer was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour at a misconduct meeting this week following a complaint from the child’s father in August 2020, a spokesman for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.
The boy had run away from officers after he was seen involved in a suspected exchange of drugs in a park in the Moss Side area of Manchester, the investigation by the police watchdog found.
The IOPC spokesman said: “After officers caught up with the boy and made two failed attempts to stop and search him, one of the officers ran after him and used CS spray in the child’s face as he turned his head to look back while continuing to run away.”
Disciplinary proceedings were arranged after a five-month investigation by the IOPC found the officer had a case to answer for misconduct.
IOPC regional director Amanda Rowe said: “We found the force used by the officer in this case was neither reasonable nor proportionate and could have been avoided.
“We found no evidence the boy posed any immediate threat to police or the public and the officer’s conduct during the incident fell short of what would be expected of a serving officer.
“While no serious injury was caused to the child, we know interactions like this with police can have a lasting and damaging impact on public confidence in the police. Police officers are trained to deal with challenging situations and should only deploy CS spray when it is necessary, proportionate and reasonable.”
