Police in London are accused of strangling Black 13-year-old Benjamin Olajive as he got off the school bus on Sept. 14.
The officers, who were responding to a report of a person with a knife, confronted the teen after identifying his hair pick as a knife, the Daily Mail reports.
Benjamin's mother, Zeyna Kada, and other witnesses shared video that showed the teen being handcuffed by several officers. The 13-year-old, who has ADHD, was screaming for help as witnesses were demanding police release the boy. Bystanders said the incident continued for about 45 minutes.
Benjamin was heard screaming about pain in his wrists while being handcuffed. Though not captured on video, the officers have been accused of choking the student during the incident.
Following the struggle, deputies took the boy to a police station, saying he "physically resisted and tried to get away" from officers and "caused dents" in a police car after kicking it several times.
Benjamin Olajive, 13, special needs, ‘strangled and left bleeding and bruised’ in #Streatham
#London after cops jumped him, mistaking his afro comb for a knife.This is why we fight excessive police force and brutality. This is why they don’t need MORE powers.
This. Is. Why. pic.twitter.com/k4EYwGDZXz
— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) September 22, 2021
Kada said police racially profiled her son and used excessive force. The mother added that her loved one never had any previous encounters with police. She also said an officer grabbed her son by the neck and he was left with bruises. Additionally, Benjamin was seen with a swollen left eye and bloodied shirt, Complex reports.
"I am a mum raising a young Black boy. I see the news with all these shootings and I think, 'God help these children and help them to love one another,'" Kada said, according to The Daily Mail. "I am not saying don't stop and search, but use reasonable force and respect, and take your hands off someone else's child."
Kada now plans to now educate her son about his rights. She also told her son that she is proud of him because he complied.
In another incident in London last week, a 70-year-old Jamaican man named Errol Dixon was hospitalized and severely injured during a confrontation with police, Complex reports. The struggle ensued after Dixon was pulled over for a broken brake light.