Two Metropolitan Police officers have been dismissed without notice after a gross misconduct hearing found they punched and kicked a 14-year-old boy during an arrest in Finsbury Park, north London, in April 2021. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation revealed that Police Constables Alexei Zalesskiy and Conor Ryan used excessive force and subsequently lied in their statements about the incident.
The boy was part of a group of young people being dispersed by officers. He became agitated after being pushed, shouted at officers, and spat in an officer's face before running away. Officers chased and arrested him for assaulting an emergency worker and a public order offence. The boy was handcuffed but was not charged, and no further action was taken.
Evidence from body-worn video and CCTV showed Zalesskiy punching the boy at least once, while Ryan kicked him in the neck and head area and struck his thigh with a knee. The IOPC found that both officers had lied in their initial statements about the incident. The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to press criminal charges against them.
The disciplinary hearing, led by an independent legally qualified chair, concluded on Wednesday that the officers breached professional standards for use of force, honesty, and integrity. Both have been added to the police barred list, preventing future employment in any police service.
Amanda Rowe, IOPC director, stated: “The force used on this child was neither reasonable nor proportionate... To compound matters, they then tried to justify their actions by lying... Their dismissals send a strong message that there will be serious consequences for police officers who use gratuitous violence and are dishonest.”
