Merseyside Police have launched an investigation into a video that appears to show an officer striking a youth with handcuffs. The footage depicts the officer punching the teenager multiple times in the stomach, chest, and throat before handcuffing him and dragging him to a police van. Another teenager is also seen being arrested in the video.
The incident occurred on "Mischief Night," the evening before Halloween, in Liverpool. Following a complaint made on Saturday, the force confirmed that its professional standards team would examine the event.
A spokesperson for the force stated, "While we look to establish the full circumstances of what happened, we would urge people not to speculate and avoid sharing rumours or misinformation." The spokesperson added, "We are determined to protect our communities from the sort of appalling behaviour that we historically see at this time of year. We have a contempt for criminality and a commitment to cracking down on people committing serious offences in Merseyside."
Police also described the video as showing only a "small part of the incident."