Letter to Commisioner about Bryanston Street Arrest

Dear Commissioner,

20 April 2023 Bryanston Street Arrest

I am writing to you as I have recently been contacted by the mother of a young person arrested last week on 20 April 2023 and released under investigation. There is worrying footage of this arrest circulating on social media which was acknowledged by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Contact Centre.[1] I am glad to see that the MPS has now referred this case to its Directorate of Professional Standards.[2]

I have spoken with the arrested child’s mother who would like me to ask you if you can bring forward his upcoming interview with the police currently scheduled for 17 June, firstly because the date clashes as I understand it with a family holiday, but also importantly so that he can start to move on from this traumatic experience.

Further, once your Directorate of Professional Standards has investigated, I would like to know the reason for the initial stop and whether so far as you can ascertain on the information available to you:

• all stop and search guidance was followed in this incident?
• the young person was treated as a young person and not as an adult during the stop and arrest?
• their parent/appropriate adult was contacted as soon as possible?
• the force used in the arrest was proportionate?

I look forward to receiving your response, in the first instance, to the request to bring forward the interview.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Russell

Green Party Member of the London Assembly

[1] Tweet from Met Contact Centre (@MetCC) acknowledging the incident 

[2] Met launches investigation amid claim that officer 'put knee on schoolboy's neck' during arrest