Two Metropolitan Police officers in London were fired on Thursday after they were found to have used excessive force during the arrest of a 14-year-old boy in North London before making false statements.

The arrest took place in April 2021 when officers rushed to a North London area after reports of “large numbers of youths, possible armed with knives, causing disorder”.
Officer Alexei Zalesskiy and Conor Ryan claimed the boy spat at the officers and ran away from them, before they detained and arrested him a short distance away.
Zalesskiy and Ryan were both found to have used excessive force during the arrest and made “statements about the incident which were not true,” the Metropolitan Police Service said.
A panel led by an independent legally qualified chair found the officers breached Standards of Professional Behavior relating to use of force and honesty and integrity. The two have been dismissed without notice.
Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines, who leads policing in North Area, said: “Officers have to act with restraint and the public of course would expect them to be honest about their actions. Action will be taken against any officer whose behavior falls below that which is expected. We are determined to drive up standards, and those who fail to meet those standards have no place in the Met.”