The father of a school boy who smacked his head on the floor after being thrown to the ground by a police officer has told how he was "sickened to the core" after viewing the horror footage. The incident took place at Smithycroft Secondary School in Glasgow on Wednesday, April 26, after a minor fight broke out between two male pupils.
The constable was filmed grabbing hold of the youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and chucking him down in an uncontrolled manner before landing on top of him. The boy’s father said he was ‘sickened to the core’ after watching the footage and has made a formal complaint to Police Scotland about the alleged excessive use of force.
Speaking to the Daily Record, the 40-year-old said: “When I saw the video, I was sick. Absolutely sick. You don’t expect anyone to do that - even a stranger out in the street - nevermind a police officer doing that to a child, especially your own child.
“I knew it was bad. I just didn’t realise it was that bad. It’s sickening to the core. You can’t explain why anyone would do something like that. He’s nothing but a bully. He seemed power hungry at the time.
“From the footage, you can see him goading my son while he’s got him pinned on the ground. It was like he was trying to get another reaction from him. I was really, really angry that he had done that to not just my son, but just a child.”
The video footage, obtained by the Record, shows the scuffle between the two boys as it was ending. The father-of-four said he and his wife were notified of the incident after receiving a phone call from their other son.
The dad continued: “We got there within five or ten minutes and initially, we weren’t allowed to see my son who had been put into a room. Eventually we were allowed in to check on him.
“He was a bit white and shaken up as you can imagine. He had a sore head and neck. We had a meeting with the headmaster which mainly focused on the fight.
“He said he was reluctant to call it a fight, it was ‘fisty cuffs’ at most. We said we understood there was zero tolerance to fighting and whatever they decided to do about the fight itself, we’d support it.
“He said they’d get the two boys together and sort it out and move on from it. The police then charged my son and I with breach of the peace.”
The dad, who admits calling the officer a “muppet” and swearing at him, said he was given different excuses by the cop for his actions.
The parent explained: “Initially he said the reason he had used that force was because my son had put his hands on him. I questioned him and asked if any footage or CCTV would show that.
“And he responded ‘I think so’. He then changed the story to say that he felt my son was going to throw another punch and that’s why he grabbed my son in the way that he did.
“He body slammed my son. He had no control over the action whatsoever. I did mention his training on that and he said he was the method they’re taught.
“But he’s working in a school and he’s dealing with kids. This is a 14-year-old who was half his weight. He said my son was taller than him so that was his next excuse.”
A police source said: “The training police officers receive is that they are to lower an individual to the ground in a controlled manner. This clearly wasn’t the case here.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We have received a complaint and enquiries are ongoing. We are unable to provide any further detail.”
They added: “A 41-year-old man has been charged with a breach of the peace and is subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal. The incident occurred on Smithycroft Road around 1.20pm on Wednesday, 26 April, 2023.
“A 14-year-old boy has been charged following an assault on Wednesday, 26 April, 2023. He has been referred to the Early and Effective Intervention Co-ordinator.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Our schools will not tolerate violence and the appropriate action has been taken by the headteacher in relation to the original scuffle that involved a number of young people.”
