AN INVESTIGATION by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into how PSNI officers physically removed a young autistic woman from a shop has found no evidence of misconduct.
The incident, which occurred in Lisburn in December 2024, saw 19-year-old Katie Mitchell being carried from the store by four PSNI officers and her father.
Despite its findings, the ombudsman has recommended that officers receive ‘enhanced training’ when dealing with people who are autistic, particularly those who are non-verbal.
“In keeping with the recommendation we will now consider how best to incorporate this element into future training,” said Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson.
‘Upset’
The ombudsman said Ms Mitchell entered the shop through half-closed shutters and attempted to buy a £2 DVD.
However, the tills were no longer operational and staff asked Ms Mitchell and her mother to leave.
In a social media post at the time, Ms Mitchell’s sister said: “Katie didn’t understand this and became very upset, crying in the shop.”
The ombudsman said that when the non-verbal young woman would not leave the shop, the situation escalated and the police were called.
It added that after two police officers arrived and said they had to leave the store, Ms Mitchell’s father tried to encourage her to leave before trying to physically move her.
The investigation claimed that officers only became involved when Ms Mitchell’s father continued to have difficulty moving her and when two more police officers arrived, the five carried her from the shop.
‘Last resort’
Nikki Davis, Director of Investigations with the Police Ombudsman’s Office, said the incident was ‘undoubtedly distressing’ and emphasised the need for enhanced training.
“What happened during this incident was undoubtedly distressing for this young woman and her parents, and footage of her being carried out of the shop by police and her father was the subject of significant public commentary,” she said.
“However, when reviewed in its entirety, the body-worn video, which included audio, together with CCTV footage, showed that the police officers who responded to the incident understood that the best approach was for her parents to encourage her to leave the shop.
“When those efforts were unsuccessful, and their own attempts to escort the young woman from the shop also failed, the officers, along with her father, physically removed her.
“The police officers recognised from the outset that there was no simple solution and their action was a last resort in an incident which lasted for around 18 minutes from police entering the shop to leaving.
“While the officers did not breach the PSNI code of ethics, the situation exposed a gap in current PSNI training and led directly to the recommendation that police officers should receive enhanced training which equips them to engage with, and respond to, any autistic person, but especially a person who speaks few or no words and may communicate in other ways.”
‘Challenging situations’
ACC Henderson said he welcomed the findings from the ombudsman’s investigation into ‘a very difficult and complex set of circumstances for everyone involved’.
“The Ombudsman has identified that whilst there is training for frontline officers in dealing with vulnerability and mental health, there is no specific input for frontline officers on strategies for dealing with those they encounter who may be non-verbal,” he added.
“In keeping with the recommendation we will now consider how best to incorporate this element into future training.
“Our officers are routinely called to challenging situations and as in this case we will always seek a patient approach when dealing with people with complex needs.”