Police say they are ‘justified’ pointing Tasers at teenage girls

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Police have said Tasering a group of teenage girls was ‘proportionate, necessary and justified’.

Footage widely shared online shows a number of young girls in party dresses surrounding at least six officers in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, at the weekend.

One of the officers appears to shove one of the teenagers before drawing his baton. The incident quickly escalates with some girls ending up on the floor and two officers begin pointing their Tasers.

South Yorkshire Police have now reviewed the footage, including bodyworn video, and concluded the use of force was ‘ proportionate, necessary and justified’.

They said there was ‘an opportunity for learning around de-escalation’ but said: ‘As is often the case, the clip which has been posted on social media shows only a few seconds of a much longer police response to a 999 call – reporting a fight involving many young people.

‘Having viewed the clip in isolation, it is understandable that local and wider communities have some concerns.’

The force went on to say: ‘The public’s trust and confidence in policing is dependent on openness and accountability.

‘As such, while this incident did not meet the national criteria for independent assessment, we took the unprecedented step of requesting peer review from another police force.