Complaint regarding use of force on a teenager - British Transport Police, December 2017

In December 2017 a British Transport Police (BTP) officer stopped and searched a teenager following reports that a man had been seen to trespass onto railway lines and was believed to be possibly armed with a knife The evidence obtained showed that the officer used force in the form of an incapacitant spray, handcuffs and a kick in order to detain and subdue the teenager and search him. The officer didn’t complete a ‘stop and search’ record.

We investigated a complaint made on behalf of the teenager regarding use of force.

During the investigation, our investigators interviewed the officer and the teenager, and obtained statements from several witnesses. They also identified various police officers who attended the scene and obtained statements from them. Investigators also undertook house-to-house and CCTV enquiries.

We were of the view that evidence suggested that the officer’s actions and decision making in stopping the teenager were reasonable in that he physically resembled the person being sought. The teenager said that, when approached by the officer, he was angry and unco-operative, which is in line with the officer’s evidence and justification for the use of force. Evidence also suggested that the tactics the officer employed with the teenager escalated from tactical communication through to the use of spray, which appears to be in line with guidance.

The officer stated he did not complete a stop and search form because he did not search the teenager, only intended to. It appears the search may have been conducted by an officer from another force.

Based on the evidence available we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, or had committed a criminal offence.

After reviewing our report, BTP agreed with our views. They also advised that the officer would receive management advice from his line manager to improve his performance with a refresher course in using incapacitant spray.