Teenage boy 'stamped on' by armed police and arrested after playing with water pistol
29 August 2024, 07:34 | Updated: 29 August 2024, 10:29
A 17-year-old boy has been left in "sheer shock" after being “kicked and kneed” when arrested by armed police officers for playing with a water pistol.
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Kody Godwin, an apprentice roof fitter, was at the local shops on his bike with a friend with a water pistol when a member of the public rang the police telling them a gun was sighted.
It is understood that around 10 armed officers turned up near the shops at Gainsborough Green in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, at around 7.30pm on Tuesday, August 6.
Eyewitnesses also saw police dogs, a helicopter and undercover officers called to the incident with pictures showing Kody on the ground.
Thames Valley Police say they take reports of firearms very seriously and reply to reports swiftly.
His mum, Tricia Godwin, told the Oxford Mail that while he was on the ground “there was a gun pointed into his back the whole time”.
Kody’s parents said they were told their son had been taken to Reading police station only to find out he was still at Abingdon police station before he was transferred to Banbury where he stayed overnight as CCTV footage was reviewed.
A search warrant also took place to his bedroom, Ms Godwin added.
He was released along with his friend at around 11am the following morning with no further action to be taken.
Ms Godwin said: “During the arrest, he laid on his back and they told him to turn over and as he turned over they kicked him in the side. There is no need for that at all.
“He has never been in trouble with the police before. I think he is a bit miffed about it obviously.
“It was an overreaction. I am worried about how it is going to affect Kody later on in life. He may get PTSD from it. It isn’t something that is just going to go away.”
Ms Godwin, who is a learning support assistant, also told LBC: “It was a warm day – they’d been playing at youth club with it and carried on afterwards.
“Next thing, Kody is told to get off his bike and they shouted at him to get on the floor -they then shouted at him to turn on his stomach and kicked him to make him turn around quicker which there was no need for.
“I was fraught – I was crying and angry because I didn’t know where my son was. Last thing I knew he was put in the back of a car with two police officers.
“Before he was quite happy to speak to police but now, he doesn’t want anything to do with them. He’s never been arrested before, so he was absolutely bricking it.
“I get that they need to react fast and quick to someone reporting a firearm – but as soon as they realised it was a water gun that should have been the end of it.
“It doesn’t look like a gun – and they were spraying each other with it.”
WhatsApp Video 2024-08-29 at 07.27.49
Boy with water pistol 'stamped on' by armed police
Jason Godwin, Kody’s dad, was in France for work at the time, but asked his wife to request the body camera footage from the police after speaking to his son.
The family said they were told it could not be released as Kody has not been charged.
“It was sheer shock, he’s got bruises on his side from where they kicked or kneed him on the side when they turned him over," Kody's father added.
“We are both scared. Your son is just out playing with a water pistol and all of a sudden you have 10 armed police grappling him to the floor. What is this world coming to?
“His outlook on the police now has totally changed.
"Before he would go up to the police and interact with them, but now there is no way after that as there was no need for what happened."
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “We received a report from a concerned member of the public of an incident of possession of a firearm on Gainsborough Green.
“Officers attended the scene and two 17-year-old boys, both from Abingdon, were arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm in a public place.
“After a thorough investigation, they were later released without charge.
“It is important that we take reports of firearms very seriously and reply to reports of firearms swiftly.
