Dalston: Child X, 13, knocked off scooter by armed police after water pistol mistaken for real gun

A 13-year-old boy was surrounded by armed police while playing in the back garden when his water pistol was mistaken for a gun.

The boy - referred to as Child X - was handcuffed and confronted by police in Hackney in July, the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA) charity said.

Child X was having a water fight with his sibling in their Dalston back garden on July 19 when a police officer on patrol reported a potential firearms incident, the APA said.

One water pistol was blue and white, and the other was pink and white. Both were “unmistakably” toys, the charity said.

Armed units from the Met and City of London Police were sent to the scene, according to the APA.

In a statement the APA said: “Seeing the children playing, a Metropolitan Police Officer reported seeing ‘a Black male with a gun’.  The toy was unmistakably a water gun.

“The subsequent treatment of Child X and his mother and the horrific scene that unfolded outside her home was appalling. A police van rammed Child X off his scooter, knocking him to the ground and surrounded him with armed police officers.

“Child X, his five-year-old sister and the neighbour’s children who witnessed the event have all been left suffering deep trauma as a result of this truly shocking incident and the treatment of the mother at the scene.”

In a statement the Met Police said: “At around 3.45 pm on Wednesday July 19, an unarmed officer in Hackney, saw a male on a bicycle pointing what was believed to be a handgun at a young girl.

“Officers from the Met’s specialist firearms command were called to the scene and found a boy matching the officer’s description riding on an electric pedal cycle nearby.

“Specialist officers are trained on specific tactics including using vehicles to bring cyclists to a stop. This tactic was used in this case, causing the boy to fall off his bike.

“Firearms officers left the car and he was handcuffed and detained. It quickly became clear that he was not in possession of a firearm. He was de-arrested at the scene. In subsequent enquiries, his family confirmed he had earlier been playing with a toy water gun.”

Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, in charge of policing for Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said he has apologised to the family.

He said: “This incident was understandably extremely distressing for the boy involved as well as the rest of his family.

“Since the incident occurred, I have met with the boy’s family to explain the reasons behind our actions. This included showing them the relevant body worn video from the officers involved. I listened to their concerns and I understand how upsetting this has been for them.

“Our officers are dealing with fast moving situations, based on the limited information provided to them at the time. Such is the nature of the threat from firearms that the College of Policing is clear that officers should treat all firearms as real and loaded until proven otherwise.

“As would be expected, the actions of the officers involved were reviewed by the Met’s professional standards unit and the Independent Office for Police Conduct. No misconduct has been identified. A public complaint is being assessed.”

A City of London Police spokesperson said: “As common practice, a firearms unit from the City of London Police attended in support of Metropolitan Police firearms units at an incident on July 19 2023.”