A Gwent Police officer has been accused of assaulting an 11-year-old boy in a CCTV-captured confrontation that allegedly left him with a black eye, swelling and bruises.
The boy’s family has lodged a formal complaint and instructed solicitors after the incident near Waunheulog, Nantyglo, on October 22.
Footage shared online appears to show an officer confronting the child as he rode a Sur-Ron electric bike, followed by a struggle near a wall.
The boy's mother claims the officer slammed her son, Kenzie, against the wall and then to the ground, leaving him injured and frightened.
Gwent Police has confirmed the force is reviewing a complaint about the incident.
Speaking to the Argus, Kenzie's mother acknowledged her son should not have been riding the bike illegally but insisted the officer's response was unjustified.
She said: "I know that the bike is not a legal bike. I know that, and I know [I'll get] backlash for getting him the bike.
"But the force [the officer used] is what upsets me the most.
"The point I'm trying to get across is you literally see that police officer slam my child into the wall, then slam him on the floor."
Kenzie was later taken to hospital with injuries to his face, head and legs, his mother said.
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"He's black-eyed, he's got a lump on his head, cheeks are swollen, bruises on his legs, back of his head," she said.
A family friend who arrived shortly afterwards said she found Kenzie crying in the back of a police car.
She said: "He's sat in the back of a police car with his face cut, crying in pain.
"I said, regardless, that boy needs medical attention."
The family also claims a second child, aged 12, was handcuffed.
Kenzie’s mother said he was now frightened of police officers and feared they would return to his home.
She said: "He's ringing me, 'Mam, Mam, come back, the police are going to come.'"
A Gwent Police spokesperson said: "Officers sighted a Sur-Ron bike being ridden illegally through Brynmawr town centre on Tuesday 22 October.
"The Sur-Ron rider was stopped by a police officer on foot near Waunheulog and the bike seized.
"Officers regularly carry out patrols in response to community concerns around the use of off-road and Sur-Rons bikes in the area.
"A complaint has been received regarding the interaction, and the complaint is currently being reviewed therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."
The mother added: "We accept he should not have been on the bike.
"But we’re absolutely disgusted by the way the officer handled Kenzie."
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