Keneci Channel
Video posted by a mother on social media, shows 7 police officers dragging away her screaming autistic 16-year-old daughter in the early hours of Monday morning local time. The teenager, who also suffers from scoliosis, had been driven to her home in Leeds, West Yorkshire, after midnight, when she allegedly said "a female officer looked like her lesbian nana."
"This is what police do when dealing with autistic children," the mother who recorded the incident, wrote. "My daughter told me the police officer looked like her nana, who is a lesbian. The officer took it the wrong way and said it was a homophobic comment [it wasn't]. The officer then entered my home. My daughter was having panic attacks from being touched by them and they still continued to manhandle her."
In the footage, two officers can be seen in the hallway of the home, as the girl hides in a corner. The female officer in question, can be heard insisting "she [the girl] is going to be arrested."
The girl's mother says: "She's made a comment in her own house, she hasn't said anything to you." The mom repeats "she's autistic," to which the officer responds: "I don't care."
The officers remain in the hallway as the mother says: "You're going to remove her for what, she said the word lesbian? Her nana is a lesbian, she's married to a woman. She's not homophobic."
A male officer intervenes, saying a homophobic comment had been made to his colleague. Eventually the girl was detained, screaming and wailing.
West Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Oz Khan said in a statement: "We are aware of a video circulating on social media which, as is often the case, only provides a very limited snapshot of the circumstances of this incident. Officers had their body-worn video cameras activated during their wider involvement with this young girl which provides additional context to their actions. We have received a complaint in relation to this incident which is currently being assessed by West Yorkshire Professional Standards Directorate. While that ongoing process and the active criminal investigation limit our ability to fully discuss the incident in detail, we feel it is important for people to have some context about the circumstances."
Recounting Monday's incident, he said: "From 12.12am on Monday, August 7, police received calls from a family member of a 16-year-old girl who was reportedly intoxicated and putting herself at risk in Leeds city centre. Officers attended at about 1am and drove the teenager to her home so she could be appropriately looked after. Upon returning her to the address, comments were made which resulted in the girl being arrested on suspicion of a homophobic public order offence. The nature of the comments made was fully captured on body-worn video. When the girl was eventually fit to be interviewed, that interview took place with an appropriate adult. She was later released on bail pending further enquiries and advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. West Yorkshire Police takes its responsibilities around the welfare of young people taken into custody and around neurodiversity very seriously. We also maintain that our officers and staff should not have to face abuse while working to keep our communities safe. We are fully reviewing the circumstances of this incident and ask that people avoid reaching any conclusions about it solely on the basis of the social media video."
Social media users were outraged by the video, with many condemning the fascistic heavy-handedness of the officers. "The people know who was wrong and right in this situation," a user wrote replying to West Yorkshire Police. "No further context is needed. Abuse of power is all this is."
WATCH the moment the autistic teenager was detained by officers