AN investigation is under way over footage which appears to show a police officer kicking a Co Tyrone teenager about the head while he lies restrained on the ground.
The short clip shows a uniformed PSNI officer kick Shea Somerville in the head during an arrest operation in Cookstown in the early hours of Sunday.
Lawyers for the 16-year-old from Coalisland teenager claim he has been left with “serious injuries” and have lodged a complaint with the Police Ombudsman.
The PSNI has confirmed that it has also self-referred to the ombudsman.
It is understood an altercation involving police took place in the town in the early hours of Sunday after a group was ejected from a nearby nightclub.
Lawyers say Mr Somerville was detained along with another man, who was not arrested.
Footage of the incident shows two PSNI officers kneeling over Mr Somerville, who is being held on the ground.
One of the officers can be seen rising to his feet before swinging his right leg in the direction of the teenager who is then seen holding the left side of his head.
It is alleged Mr Somerville was placed in the back of police car and further assaulted while being taken to Dungannon PSNI station.
It is claimed that officers did not switch on their body worn cameras during the incident and the injured teenager was not given access to a doctor while in custody.
The Police Ombudsman has been told that the teenager has suffered severe bruising to his neck, face and body, that his mouth has “been damaged” and he has been “unable to eat solid foods since the incident”.
In correspondence Mr Somerville’s solicitor Gavin Booth, of Phoenix Law, said his client has been given antibiotics “to deal with the pain” and “there is a high likelihood that the incident will have caused him psychiatric injury”.
It is alleged another youth who was recording events was “body slammed” to the ground before “knees” were placed on his head.
On the recorded footage a male voice can be heard shouting “I can’t breathe”.
Mr Booth raised questions about the level of force used during the arrest operation.
In a statement the PSNI said: “A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of three counts of assault on police, following a disturbance in Cookstown in the early hours of Sunday.
“The disturbance occurred after patrol officers stopped to assist an injured man in the James Street area.
“The boy was later released on bail to allow for further enquiries.
“The PSNI have self-referred this incident to the Office of the Police Ombudsman and as such it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
It is understood that no PSNI officer has been removed from duty.
