Black boy kneeled on and handcuffed ‘while buying shampoo in Superdrug’
This is the disturbing moment Superdrug security staff kneeled on top of a black boy before handcuffing him.
Footage from inside the pharmacy shows two men in uniforms restraining the youngster, with one kneeling across his legs.
The incident happened in the shop on East Street in Chichester, West Sussex, on Wednesday afternoon.
Kirsty, the mum of the boy, shared the video on Twitter, criticising the force of the security.
The former special adviser for Number 10 and the Ministry of Justice wrote: ‘This is my 15-year-old black son who was followed while he shopped for shampoo.’
The parent appealed for members of the public to repost the footage on social media.
It has since been shared thousands of times, with the actions of the security staff and police widely criticised.
Sussex Police were called to the scene shortly after 3.30pm to reports that a group of teenagers had become involved in an altercation.
A shop worker also reported being assaulted, the force confirmed.
Three teenagers had been detained by civilian security staff by the time officers arrived, with two subsequently arrested.
Kirsty confirmed in a thread on Twitter that her son was one of those who were arrested.
The mum claims that after 90 minutes of not knowing what happened to him, she found out he was taken to Worthing Police Station.
‘Spoken to my son who is very stressed but doing ok. Being held at Worthing,’ she wrote.
He was released out of police custody at 1.15 am, the mum added later, thanking people for their support.
‘It has been an incredibly stressful day,’ she stressed.
Sussex Police said it is looking into the full circumstances of what happened in the retailer.
Meanwhile, a Chichester District Council spokesperson said they have been made aware of the incident.
There was speculation online who employs the two security officers, but the local authority confirmed it was not them.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Superdrug and Sussex Police for further comment.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.