Camden boy toy gun arrest: Met Police 'content' with officers

A passer-by thought they saw 12-year-old Kai holding a firearm as he sat on his sofa at home

The Met's most senior firearms officer says he is "content" with the handling of a search in which a boy aged 12 was arrested for having a toy gun.

Officers were called to a home in Camden on 17 July after a passer-by said they saw a "black male holding a firearm on the sofa".

Kai Agyepong was held while officers searched the home, and was released when a plastic pellet gun was found.

Commander Kyle Gordon said the officers were "professional" throughout.

After receiving the call, a Met Armed Response Vehicle was sent to make inquiries.

'Really scared'

Mina Agyepong, 42, said her son was arrested when he opened the door, and that about 10 police officers were "aiming their rifles at me and my girls and shouting for us to put our hands up".

Ms Agyepong said: "I saw there were red dots on my daughters' heads and I started to get really scared. I honestly believed if the officers got alarmed in anyway, they would shoot."

Officers found a toy BB gun and not a firearm during a search of the house

While searching the home, officers verified that the gun was a BB gun, which is similar in size and shape to a viable handgun.

Cdr Gordon said police treated all reports of gun possession seriously.

'Deadly force'

He said: "There have been a number of well-publicised shootings in London in recent months where members of the public have been injured, and as the public would rightly expect we take every report of a firearm seriously in order to protect our communities.

"I have personally watched body-worn video of the incident, and whilst I can understand concerns in terms of how the incident has been reported in some quarters, I am content from what I have seen that the officers were professional throughout and took time to explain to the residents what was happening and why."

He added that the person was right to call the police, and urged others to do the same if they saw similar weapons.

The Met has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Ms Agyepong is also pursuing a complaint against the force.

In a blog post, the family's solicitor Iain Gould said the force had "major questions" to answer.

"Deadly force could so easily and tragically have been unleashed upon (Ms Agyepong) and her children," he said.