Merseyside Police has confirmed that the child seen being punched by an officer in a widely shared video is 13 years old. The force's professional standards department continues to carry out enquiries into the incident, which took place in the Alder Wood Avenue area of Speke on Friday.
Officers had responded to reports of youths blocking roads with wheelie bins and "aiming fireworks at anyone who tried to remove them". The force said youths had reportedly "smashed windows of nearby flats, tried to start fires and threatened members of the public".
Video shows officer striking boy three times
The footage, circulated on X, formerly Twitter, has been viewed tens of thousands of times. It shows the officer appear to punch the boy in the stomach, chest and throat before he is handcuffed, dragged up and led to a police van. Another teenager can be seen being pulled from the ground as he is arrested, while other officers stand next to a Matrix van.
The force said it had received a complaint in relation to the incident, but added: "It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time." In a brief update given to the ECHO on Monday, November 2, the force confirmed the child in the video was aged 13.
No referral made to IOPC
The ECHO approached the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the watchdog responsible for investigating complaints made against police forces. A spokesperson confirmed a referral had not been made.
A Merseyside Police spokesperson told the ECHO: "Our professional standards department continues to carry out enquiries into the incident...at this stage, a referral has not been made to the IOPC."
The police spokesperson added: "While we look to establish the full circumstances of what happened, we would urge people not to speculate and avoid sharing rumours or misinformation."
Incident occurred on Mischief Night
The incident happened on "Mischief Night" - the night before Halloween. Merseyside Police confirmed it saw a 10% reduction in reports of antisocial behaviour and criminal damage compared to last year.
Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Kevin Chatterton, who led the force operation, said: "I would like to remind parents and guardians how important it is to know where your child is and what they are up to. No parent wants a knock on their door from a police officer informing them that their child has been arrested or, worse still, has been involved in a serious accident.
"We understand the distress that incidents of antisocial behaviour and criminal damage cause so if you experience anything in the coming days please report it to us."
