A TEENAGE girl was ‘bullied and humiliated’ by a police officer who arrested her in what her family claimed was a case of mistaken identity, it is alleged.

Kaya Thomas, 16, from Blackbird Leys, was with her friend at Carfax in Oxford city centre last month when a panda car pulled up alongside and a female police constable asked to speak to her – saying she was looking for a black girl.

It followed an earlier alleged assault, in which Kaya said she was not involved or present, at McDonald’s in Cornmarket. That incident was said to have occurred between a group of white girls and a black girl in which a young black girl was said to have thrown a drink after threats were said to have been made.

The 5ft 2ins-tall teen told the Oxford Mail she was arrested, cautioned and cuffed behind her back by the officer – estimated to have been around four inches taller than her.

“She put me in handcuffs, she took me round the car and slammed me against the boot,” Kaya said.

“She wouldn’t listen to me. She kept tightening the handcuffs.”

Kaya said she had told the officer that she was only 16 and her request to speak to another of the police officers at the scene was refused.

She added: “I told her to loosen the handcuffs. I said ‘go look at the CCTV, I have done nothing wrong’.”

A friend with whom the girl was in town managed to call Kaya’s mother, who instructed her to find the ‘calmest’ officer and speak to them.

Eventually, having been held in the police car, Kaya was ‘de-arrested’.

 

Kaya Thomas Picture: ED NIX

Kaya Thomas Picture: ED NIX

 

But her family say the incident, which happened on the evening of January 23, has affected the girl and questioned whether race affected how she and the wider family were treated by the police.

Grandmother Vera McPherson said of the female officer who made the arrest: “You’ve bullied and humiliated my granddaughter. She doesn’t even want to go out in case a police car stops and the officers say something to her.”

She added: “To be in 2022 and it happening to my granddaughter, that’s a different thing. That’s a completely different level.”

Asked what she would tell the officer who arrested her, Kaya, who told the Oxford Mail she had never been in trouble with the police before, replied: “I would tell her how I felt and if you’re going to deal with teenagers and don’t understand the story get to know their age and speak to them first and not be too rough on them even if you’re annoyed at that moment. Get another police officer.”

Complaints about the officers’ handling of the incident were said to have been made to Thames Valley Police and the local MP.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said it was yet to receive a complaint following the arrest.

A spokesman said officers were called after a girl, 13, reportedly had a drink thrown at her, was kicked had her hair pulled. Several teenagers were spoken to and had their details taken.

“A teenage girl, who was a part of this group refused to engage with officers or give an account and resisted officers, and so she was subsequently arrested, with some force used due to resistance,” spokesman said.

The girl was de-arrested as the alleged victim had left the scene.

Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber was approached for comment.

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