This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

A police officer accused of assaulting a teenager while making an arrest is due to appear in court.

A member of the public filmed DC Kevin Rowley repeatedly striking the boy with his baton in April this year.

Police said the incident had occurred after a 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing class B drugs in Romford, east London.

The footage, later circulated on social media, appears to show a handcuffed black male sitting on the pavement and then being hit by the officer several times.

The boy shouts: “I am a child ... this is illegal. You can’t do this.”

The incident was referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), after a complaint was made that the use of the baton was excessive.

The Metropolitan police confirmed that Rowley, who is based at East Area command unit, was on restricted duties. He is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Monday.

The Metropolitan police federation chairman, Ken Marsh, said his organisation’s legal team, which represents rank and file officers in the force, would be “vigorously defending” Rowley in court.

“What we can say is that in these testing times for Metropolitan police officers, it is vital that there is not trial by social media,” he said. “A short clip of an incident does not always tell the full story. And we would remind that everyone has a right to a fair trial.”