The police watchdog has launched an investigation after Met Police officers arrested a Black woman in front of her “distressed” young son because they wrongly believed she had dodged paying her bus fare.
The Met was criticised after footage was shared on social media showing the woman being restrained and handcuffed by policemen last Friday.
A clip shared online shows a female PC attempting to comfort her crying child, while another officer looks on.
Officers said she had refused to show her pass to a Transport for London (TfL) ticket inspector, but the woman was later found to have paid her fare and de-arrested.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said a complaint had been made accusing police of racially profiling the woman, who is black.
She is also alleged to have been verbally abused by an officer.
IOPC director Steve Noonan said: “We know that footage of the woman’s arrest has been widely shared on social media and has caused significant community concern, with questions raised about the actions of the police officers involved.
“We have decided that an independent investigation is required to establish the full circumstances, including the actions and decisions made by the MPS officers.”
The Met’s Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist on Tuesday said that full bodyworn video could be shown to members of the public, adding that he believed his officers had acted correctly.
He said the Met’s referral to the watchdog was intended to provide independent reassurance to those among the public who had been disturbed by the incident.
“The lady concerned was asked for a ticket by the ticket inspector, she then spoke to a PCSO and again didn’t produce a ticket and ended up speaking to officers,” he told LBC.
“What’s clear is – we are an empathetic organisation, one of our new values is empathy - nobody that sees a young child being unhappy in that way would be happy about that or think that we don’t regret that that happened. Of course we do, nobody wants to see a young child upset in that way.
“This is why officers are in such a difficult position. If the ticket inspector is saying this person is not showing a ticket you’ve got to start engaging with that person. Nobody wants a child to be upset, but officers have got to do their duty. That doesn’t mean that we can’t be mindful and alert. We are worried about what the communities of London think and rightly so.”
