Skateboarding is illegal in that part of town. Therefore they were breaking the law. The fact that the girl was able to wiggle free of the "choke hold" and take off again means it wasn't that serious of a hold.
Now, could he have handled it better? Possibly.
Is skateboarding a serious crime? Not usually.
Should the kids have run? No
Should the Officer be Prosecuted? No, but he should be reprimanded.
Bottom line. If it is illegal to do something, somewhere. Don't go there and do it.
