Bianca Williams, an innocent athlete who was stopped and searched by Sofia police, criticized the “culture of racism” in the forces, as it was announced that five police officers would face a hearing for gross misconduct in connection with the incident.
The Independent Police Conduct Service on Wednesday announced disciplinary charges for stopping Williams and her partner Richard Dos Santos while driving a Mercedes in north-west London in July 2020.
Both athletes, who were handcuffed after being stopped with their three-month-old baby in the car, said racial bias had led to their treatment, which police denied.
Four police officers and an acting sergeant are facing charges of gross misconduct, which, if proven, could lead to their dismissal.
It is alleged that the employees violated the standards of duties and responsibilities, use of force, equality and diversity, order and instructions and authority, respect and courtesy, honesty and integrity.
The Guardian revealed on Tuesday that the five police officers will face hearings for a gross violation.
Williams said Wednesday: “I welcome this decision and I hope it opens the door for the Met to start being more honest and to reflect the culture of racism, which is undoubtedly still a reality in the organization. A clear focus on the issue of racism within the Met by the IOPC is long overdue. “
The footage from the stoppage and search was one of a series of videos that surfaced on social media that raised concerns about Met and how he treated black people.
This happened when the Black Lives Matter movement erupted after the assassination of George Floyd in May 2020 by US police.
Police said the reason for the suspension was that they suspected that elite athletes may have drugs or weapons. Nothing has been found and no arrests have been made.
After the shutdown, then-Met commissioner Cressida Dick publicly backed her staff, saying “any officer worth the salt would stop this car.”
Williams said: “I feel particularly justified by the IOPC’s decision in light of former Commissioner Cressida Dick’s public efforts to discredit and undermine our grievances and downplay the experience of blacks in the UK and the way we are controlled. I sincerely hope that Met’s culture of sweeping these issues under the rug will end with the former commissioner. “
Williams and Dos Santos were stopped when they returned home from a training session at 13:20 on 4 July 2020 in Maida Vale, north-west London, by staff from the Metropolitan Territorial Support Group.
Dos Santos said on Wednesday that it was still too difficult to hold police accountable.
He said: “It was a long journey and it was not easy. We have been dealing with this process for almost two years and who knows how much longer we will have to wait for the completion of the proceedings for illegal behavior. This sheds light on how difficult it is to ensure that the police are held accountable for their mistakes. “
Employees are considered to deny wrongdoing.
A sixth police officer will be charged with misconduct.
The IOPC said: “We found that a police unit followed him and then stopped and searched the couple, who were traveling with their baby in a car in Maida Vail, west London. They were both handcuffed, and Mr. Dos Santos was looking for weapons and drugs, and Mrs. Williams was looking for weapons.
The IOPC also said that after the suspension, a defense report called the Merlin Report was created by an employee for the couple’s baby and submitted to the local council. The police supervisor said that Met should consider “what action it should take on this report, and in particular consider deleting it and make every reasonable effort to arrange for local authorities to do so.”
The IOPC said the Met should also consider an apology for remarks made days after the suspension by Sir Stephen House, now the current Met commissioner,
Met said: “Sir Stephen maintains his statement as factually true today and today … wrote to the IOPC to reaffirm the importance of senior officers being able to answer questions from our oversight bodies openly and transparently and for advice and clarification. IOPC point on how he and his fellow senior officers, both at the Metropolitan and national levels, should respond to such a direct questioning in the future.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bass Javid, of the Met Professionalism Directorate, said: “We have fully cooperated in the IOPC investigation and, in accordance with their instructions, are now organizing an independent, conducted hearing on the misconduct.
“I am sorry for the suffering that this incident has apparently caused to Mrs Williams and Mr Dos Santos.
The couple’s lawyer, Jules Kerry, said: “The force must now apologize to my clients for the way her former boss [Cressida Dick] he publicly humiliated them and tried to undermine their grievances. “
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