The family of a teenage girl with severe autism has said she was left traumatised after being forcibly removed from a shop in Lisburn, Northern Ireland by police officers. Katie Mitchell, 19, was reportedly non-verbal and unable to understand why she could not buy a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD from the CeX store as the tills had closed for the day. Following a disagreement with staff, her mother called police to deescalate the situation.
The family said the response they received from police was “completely shocking”. Officers reportedly entered the shop and made no attempt to speak to family members or staff before grabbing and removing Katie from the store. She was left crying, with her arm behind her back, while her father held her, fearing that officers might break her arm.
Eileen Mitchell, the girl’s sister, described the customer service she received from CeX as “abusive” and said staff became aggressive with her parents. She also highlighted the lack of understanding and awareness from the police, noting that her sister is not an animal or a dog and should not be treated as such.
Autism NI were among the voices expressing their concern over the incident. The charity called for better training and mandatory awareness for police officers, saying “this can’t go on. We’re nearly into 2025”. The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland will investigate the incident
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