by A police officer dubbed a ‘lesbian nanny' appears to be at the center of an investigation after footage emerged showing him blasting the public with pepper spray.
Video shared on social media shows a police officer spraying several people during a public disturbance in Leeds.
The West Yorkshire police officer, branded ‘out of control' by commentators, is believed to be the same person who was accused of overreacting when arresting an autistic teenager earlier this year.
West Yorkshire police officer filmed spraying irritant spray at members of the public
(X/London & UK Street News)
The arrest sparked a backlash after the 16-year-old was pulled from her home because she claimed the officer looked like her “lesbian nanny”.
The girl's mother made a formal complaint about the incident on August 7, which was widely condemned for heavy-handed behavior after it was posted on TikTok. The teenager was later told she would face no further action.
In the latest video, which has been shared on X and has been viewed more than three million times, several police officers can be seen clashing with a crowd on a residential street in Rothwell, Leeds, on Sunday.
A police officer can be seen storming the stage and rushing towards members of the audience, who appear to be bystanders, spraying PAVA irritant spray in their faces while shouting: “Get back, get back”.
In total, three people appear to have been sprayed with the irritant spray, which looks like pepper spray, with one man turning his head and shielding his eyes.
Responding to the video, LBC presenter Shelagh Fogarty posted: “Is this the same officer who overreacted to the kids' lesbian nanny's comments? And where does it go anyway? And why is she using pepper spray like she's Coco Mademoiselle? And why are the police 14 years old?'
Another person commented: “If you have to run up to people to pepper spray them, I don't think you're doing it right.”
A third said: “The police were more out of control than members of the public, were they trainees?”
West Yorkshire Police is referring to professional standards following the incident
(X/London & UK Street News)
West Yorkshire Police said they were investigating the footage and examining the body-worn material following the “disturbance” on Sunday afternoon.
It added: “West Yorkshire Police are aware of footage circulating on social media of a disturbance in Third Avenue, Rothwell on Sunday (22/10) afternoon.
“The matter is being investigated and material worn by the body is currently being examined. A referral has been made to the Professional Standards Directorate.'
According to the force's website, the use of PAVA irritant spray is only justified for people who offer a level of violence that cannot be adequately dealt with by other tactical options, or where failure to immediately incapacitate a violent offender would result in an increased risk to bystanders.
The moment police arrest autistic teen ‘who said the officer looked like her lesbian nanny'
In the previous incident in August, the troubled autistic teenager was filmed walking away from her home in Leeds in tears after being arrested for a homophobic hate crime after she allegedly told a police officer she looked like her “lesbian nanny”.
In the video, a parent can be heard explaining to the officers that she has autism and thought the officer looked like her grandmother, who is gay.
Sharing the video, the mother posted: ‘This is what the police do when dealing with autistic children. My daughter told me the policeman looked like her Nana, who is a lesbian.
“The officer took it the wrong way and said it was a homophobic comment [it wasn’t].
“The officer then entered my home. My daughter had panic attacks because she was being touched and still being handled.”
Responding at the time, the Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media which, as is often the case, only provides a very limited snapshot of the circumstances of this incident.
“The officers had their body-worn video cameras activated during their extended engagement with this young girl, which provides additional context to their actions.
“We have received a complaint in relation to this incident, which is currently being assessed by the West Yorkshire Directorate for Professional Standards.”
