A POLICE Officer has been found to have used excessive force while arresting a 13-year-old child who had sworn at him.

The officer, who can only be named as PC X, is said to have pulled Child A to the ground after the child swore, arresting him for a public order offence.

A tribunal heard how the officer pulled the child to the ground after earlier telling him: “if you want to swear at me I will put you on the floor fella”.

The panel found that PC X had used “an unprovoked and unlawful use of force against a 13-year-old child who was just being cheeky to an officer”.

PC X, who the force has chosen to give anonimity, has been given a final written warning over the matter. The warining will last for three years.

The officer was called to the incident on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, to support two Sussex Police colleagues who were responding to reports that one of a group of children was in possession of a knife.

After a colleague informed the officer that no knife had been found on the children, PC X is said to have engaged with the group, warning Child A to “stop with the silly face”.

While on the ground, the officer also rhetorically asked the child whether he "wanted to be sprayed".

The panel found that the officer’s conduct in the incident amounted to gross misconduct, noting that there was “no provocation towards the officer but a young child showing some bravado to his friends”.

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The tribunal heard from the child about how he had “lost faith” in the police as a result of the incident, adding “I don’t think they are there to help you, they are there to hurt you”.

Child A also recounted how anxiety from the incident prevented him from playing rugby for some time. However, he did express that he did not want the officer to lose his job and that this was taken into consideration in the verdict.

The panel also considered the officer’s remorse and his service record when delivering their verdict.