Two British teens have been arrested after a video of them throwing a seat down several floors at a shopping center landing near oblivious shoppers went viral.
In the video, one teen can be seen grabbing the seat outside a Bath & Body Works and throwing it over the balcony as the other films. The seat falls, passes multiple floors and narrowly misses a passing shopper as it lands. The boys then laugh and run away.
🇬🇧 UK. Teen throws massive chair from top floor of Stratford Westfield, misses someone by Inches.
— Adam Kruś (@adam_krus) March 3, 2025
"Make sure its recorded so that the police can track us down pic.twitter.com/pfhkyzkHxx
"No way bro almost killed someone," reads the video's caption.
The incident, which occurred last Saturday at Westfield Stratford Shopping Center, resulted in the arrest of the two boys, aged 14 and 16. They were apprehended for suspicion of criminal damage and remain in custody, according to Newham police.
@MPSNewham have arrested a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy following an incident that saw a heavy seat thrown from the third floor at @westfieldstrat shopping centre on Saturday, 1 March. They have been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and remain in custody.
— Newham MPS | North East BCU (@MPSNewham) March 4, 2025
Social media users took to the comments of the video to chastise the boys for their reckless behavior.
"If there was a mother and a pram with her baby underneath then no one survives that. It's attempted murder," wrote one user.
"That could have killed someone. Surely the police can trace this footage," wrote another.
"People could have easily died," said a third.
Stratford MP Uma Kamaran said she was "appalled" by the video in a statement to X, adding that she has since raised the issue to City Hall and police officials.
My statement on the appalling incident in Westfield Stratford which put lives at risk. pic.twitter.com/RGNUuBoJc0
— Uma Kumaran MP (@Uma_Kumaran) March 4, 2025
"People need to know that we will take back our town [centers] from the thieves and the thugs, that offenders will be caught, and that tough action will be taken against crime and antisocial behavior," she wrote. "Stratford is one of the busiest parts of London and Westfield is Europe's largest shopping [center] - we cannot allow lawless behavior and must clamp down on the perpetrators."
"Everyone who lives in and visits Stratford must feel safe and be safe - I will continue to press for this at every level," Kumaran continued.
Originally published on Latin Times
