A police officer of the Metropolitan Police stated in a tribunal that race was not a factor in the stop of athlete Ricardo dos Santos. Dos Santos and his partner, sprinter Bianca Williams, accuse the officers of racially profiling them during the stop and search in July 2020. The hearing is investigating allegations of gross misconduct against five Met officers. PC Jonathan Clapham, one of the accused, testified that he would treat anyone the same regardless of race or ethnicity. He also stated there was no discussion of dos Santos being a “young black male” when the decision was made to follow him.
The couple was stopped outside their home in Maida Vale, west London, and had their three-month-old baby with them in their car. They were both handcuffed and searched on suspicion of having drugs and weapons. However, nothing was found, and neither was arrested. Video clips played at the hearing show dos Santos’ Mercedes being pursued by the police. PC Clapham agreed that the footage showed the sprinter braking and indicating at almost every junction he turned into but added that it is not demonstrative of his driving overall.
When questioned about the incident, PC Clapham responded that he thought he dealt with dos Santos leniently and that he and the other officers were fully justified in what they did. He ended by stating that he did not think dos Santos was a role model at all. Regardless, Acting Sgt Rachel Simpson, PC Allan Casey, PC Michael Bond, PC Sam Franks, and Clapham all deny accusations of gross misconduct and breaching police standards over equality and diversity during the stop and search.
The hearing is ongoing and will continue to investigate the events of the stop and search in detail. The couple’s allegations of racial profiling are being taken seriously, and all parties involved will be held accountable if found guilty of gross misconduct. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the hearing will be, but it is hoped that justice will be served and that such incidents will be prevented from occurring in the future
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