As five officers face sack, Met stands ground in athletes row
SCOTLAND Yard stood firm over its treatment of black athlete Bianca Williams and her partner yesterday as it emerged five police officers could face the sack.
An acting sergeant and four constables will face a gross misconduct hearing over the stop and search involving the British sprinter and Portuguese athlete Ricardo Dos Santos, 27.
The couple’s lawyer yesterday accused the force of a ‘culture of defensiveness’ over its handling of the search, in which the pair were pulled from their car and handcuffed in front of their infant son.
After the stop on July 4, 2020, details of their baby were also stored on a police database.
Miss Williams, 28, accused the police of having racially profiled her and Mr Dos Santos, following them through Maida Vale, West London, before stopping the couple and searching them for weapons.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said yesterday that five officers will face an independent disciplinary panel. But the Met stood by its initial response from interim commissioner Sir Stephen House, in which he defended the officers and insisted that footage of the stop on social media did not show the ‘full picture’.
In a statement issued through their lawyers, Miss Williams said she welcomes the IOPC
‘Culture of racism is still a reality’
decision and hopes ‘this opens the door for the Met to start being more honest and reflective about the culture of racism which is undoubtedly still a reality within the organisation. A clear focus on the racism problem in the Met by the IOPC is long overdue.’
Mr Dos Santos said: ‘This sheds a light on how difficult it is to ensure the police are held responsible for their failings.’