A police misconduct hearing has been told by athlete Ricardo dos Santos that he does not typically provoke police officers. In July 2020, Mr dos Santos and his partner Bianca Williams were stopped by five Metropolitan Police officers while driving in Maida Vale with their three-month-old baby. During the stop, the couple were handcuffed for 45 minutes, searched for drugs and weapons, and separated from their son. Neither of them were arrested, and no weapons or drugs were found.
Speaking at the south-east London hearing, Mr dos Santos denied provoking officers and testified that he was laughing because didn’t know why he was being stopped by police officers. Footage was shown to the panel of the couple taken from within the car in which Mr dos Santos could be heard laughing. He denied allegations that he “routinely provoked” officers, responding instead that he did not provoke police officers.
The five accused officers have denied allegations of gross misconduct. Acting Sgt Rachel Simpson and PCs Allan Casey, Jonathan Clapham, Michael Bond, and Sam Franks all face accusations that they breached police standards regarding equality and diversity during the stop and search. Acting Sgt Simpson and PCs Clapham, Bond, and Franks are accused of breaching standards over use of force and respect. PCs Casey, Clapham, Bond, and Franks also face allegations over the accuracy of their accounts of the stop. They have denied any wrongdoing, claiming that they believed the car was being driven suspiciously.
Next week, the hearing will continue
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