London: Video shows black man held to the ground, kneed in face by police officer

Earlier, London’s police force faced intense backlash after footage emerged in which three officers were seen pinning down a handcuffed 35-year-old black man, and spraying him with pepper-spray.

London’s Metropolitan Police Force has come under heavy criticism after a video surfaced online in which an 18-year-old black man can be seen being violently shoved to the ground and kneed in the face by two plainclothes police officials.

In the video, shot by a bystander on April 22, the 18-year-old man is heard pleading with the police and shouting “I’m not resisting”, as they aggressively knock him to the ground and handcuff him. In an attempt to restrain him further, one of the officers can be seen holding him down under his knee.

According to The Guardian, the Metropolitan Police has claimed the incident was being taken out of context. According to the police, the 18-year-old and two others, who were aboard bicycles, repeatedly ignored the officers when they asked them to stop. The police officials were allegedly patrolling the area after recent complaints of gang tensions and violence.

“An 18-year-old man was stopped for the purposes of a weapons search. He was handcuffed and placed to the floor in an attempt to mitigate any potential issues should a weapon be present. Following the completion of the search, no weapon was found and the man was allowed to go. He was not arrested,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Guardian.

Earlier, London’s police force faced intense backlash after footage emerged in which three officers were seen pinning down a handcuffed 35-year-old black man, and spraying him with pepper-spray. Following the incident, the Metropolitan Police Force referred itself to watchdog group Independent Office for Police Conduct for further investigation.

This comes amid global protests against racism and police brutality, sparked by the custodial killing of unarmed African American George Floyd in Minneapolis, US.

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