The footage shows an officer detaining a teenager outside a north London school, where the two appear to be involved in a fight.
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The officer can be seen swinging his arm towards the boy, but he doesn’t connect, and they both end up on the floor.
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Scotland Yard has referred to the police watchdog following the Tottenham incident earlier this week.
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In a statement about the images, which was shared on social media, the Metropolitan Police said officers detained a group of men on West Green Road around 4:50 p.m. local time Tuesday, searching for one of them for a search.
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“A crowd formed and the officers made a circle around the man,” the force said in a release .
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Three officers were injured during the incident and four teenagers, all 16 years old, were arrested, according to the Met.
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“It’s important to remember that the videos show a snapshot in time and the larger context is not immediately obvious,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Treena Fleming.
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The Black Lives Matter Movement called for a protest march to the Tottenham police station on Friday afternoon after the incident, which they called a “violent assault on a child” in a tweet.
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Gary McFarlane de Black Lives Matter Movement dijo a The Independent que the community was “shocked” by the video and said the adolescent in question was out of school “to collect certificates.”
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A spokesperson for the Met told The Independent : “We are aware that a protest is taking place outside the Tottenham police station and a proper police plan has been put in place.”
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In a statement about the video, Det Ch Supt Fleming said: “I am aware of videos circulating on social media showing part of the incident and we are working to establish the full circumstances of what occurred.
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“A criminal investigation is underway to determine how the officers received their injuries and social assistance is being provided.”
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He also said: “A public complaint has been received and we recognize the community’s concern about this incident, so we have made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct. The IOPC has taken the investigation as independent. “
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Det Ch Supt Fleming added: “I would ask our communities to allow us time for the incident to be reviewed in its entirety so that all circumstances can be established.”
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The Met said the four teenagers who were arrested after the incident were released on bail to return to a north London police station in January.
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