Over the weekend, team GB’s Bianca Williams accused the Metropolitan Police of racial profiling after her and her boyfriend were stopped and searched and now the police force have reached out to discuss the sprinter’s concerns.
After footage of the incident went viral yesterday (July 6), the police released a statement regarding the stop, with Helen Harper – the Commander for Central West – saying they are “really keen to speak personally to the occupants of the vehicle to discuss what happened and the concerns they have”.
They added: “We’re making efforts today to try to contact them but would also ask them to please get in touch as soon as they can.
“The Directorate of Professional Standards reviewed the stop and were content there were no misconduct issues – today they have revisited the officers’ body worn video footage, social media footage and details of the incident to satisfy ourselves that remains the case.
“However, that does not mean there isn’t something to be learnt from every interaction we have with the public. We want to listen to, and speak with, those who raise concerns, to understand more about the issues raised and what more we can do to explain police actions.
“Where we could have interacted in a better way, we need to consider what we should have done differently and take on that learning for the future.”
The statement comes after Bianca Williams accused police of racial profiling following the incident where her, her partner – Ricardo dos Santos – were stopped, searched and handcuffed while their 3-month-old son was on board in their car.
Speaking to The Times, Williams said: “It’s always the same thing with Ricardo [her partner].
“They think he’s driving a stolen vehicle, or he’s been smoking cannabis.”
She added: “It’s racial profiling […] The way they spoke to Ricardo, like he was scum, dirt on their shoe, was shocking. It was awful to watch.”