The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has announced that it will launch an investigation into an incident where a 13-year-old boy was surrounded by armed police officers after his water pistol was mistaken for a gun. The boy, who is black, was riding his bike in Hackney in July when the incident occurred.
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According to the Alliance for Police Accountability (APA), the boy was engaged in a water fight with his sibling when a police officer on patrol reported a potential firearms incident. Subsequently, a police van allegedly knocked the boy off his bicycle before he was confronted by armed police officers who pointed their firearms at him. The boy was then arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm but was soon “de-arrested” at the scene.
