Following a disciplinary panel’s finding that the two London Metropolitan Police officers had engaged in unprofessional conduct in relation to the stop and search of two African-American athletes, the officers were recently fired from their positions.
Professional sprinters Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos reported to the police watchdog that on July 4, 2020, they were the targets of racial profiling by a group of police officers.
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Police followed the couple’s car and stopped them outside their London house when they were heading home with their 3-month-old boy in the back seat. The players were searched and handcuffed because it authorities thought they could have drugs and weapons, but nothing was discovered.
The policemen told the disciplinary tribunal that they were following the athletes’ car because of Dos Santos’ “suspicious” and “appalling” driving, and that when they executed the stop and search, they were carrying out their official duties.
However, the panel found that Sam Franks and Jonathan Clapham, two of the policemen, had lied about detecting cannabis during the event.
The two were fired without cause after their actions, according to panel head Chiew Yin Jones, violated norms of professional behavior pertaining to honesty and integrity. The panel determined that the allegations against Clapham and Franks for their behavior were not proven.
Three other cops involved were exonerated.
Williams, who won gold in the sprint relay at the 2018 European Championships and the Commonwealth Games, captured the event on camera, and the video went viral online. She expressed her hope that the hearing will force the Metropolitan Police to be “more honest” about their “racism culture.”
Following the hearing, Dos Santos expressed his belief that his accusations of “bad driving, threatening violence and drugs” were based on “racial stereotypes.” He claimed at the court that he was being held by the police for “DWB – driving while Black.”
He stated to the media reporters, “We’ve supported the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) case over the past three years and it’s highlighted what most Black people are far too aware of regardless of their background, education and employment.”
He added, “They are nine times more likely to be stopped by the Met and three times more likely to be handcuffed.”
The largest police department in the UK, the Metropolitan Police, has been plagued in recent years by accusations of systemic racism and sexism. An independent evaluation published in March stated that the force needed to change because of its deeply rooted homophobia, sexism, and racism.
Matt Ward, the deputy assistant commissioner of the force, stated, “Mr. Dos Santos and Ms. Williams deserved better and I apologize to them for the distress they have suffered.”
In regard to our use of stop and search, the panel’s conclusions underscore the fact that police “still have a long way to go to gain the trust of our communities, particularly our Black communities,” he continued.
