Met officers to face gross misconduct hearings over Maida Vale stop and search

Five Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers will face gross misconductproceedings following an investigationby the Independent Office for Police Conduct(IOPC) into the stop and search of athletes Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos.

Video footage of part of the 4 July 2020 incident was shared widely on social media at the time. Ms Williams made a complaint about the incident on Twitter and the MPS subsequently made a referralto the IOPC on 7 July. On 9 July, Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos formally lodged their complaints about the stop and search via their solicitors.

We established that a police unit followed and then stopped and searched the couple, who were travelling with their baby in a car in Maida Vale, west London. They were both handcuffed and Mr Dos Santos searched for weapons and for drugs and Ms Williams for weapons.

In February 2022, we passed our report and findings to the MPS. In April, we directed that disciplinary proceedings should take place.

Our investigationexamined:

• why their vehicle was followed and stopped

• whether the force used against the couple was lawful, necessary, reasonable and proportionate

• whether the searches of the couple and their vehicle, were in accordance with their duties and responsibilities

• whether Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos were treated less favourably because of their race

• the accuracy of the accounts provided by the officers.

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem said:

"All five officers - an acting police sergeant and four police constables - will face allegationsthey breached police standards of professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities and for equality and diversity.

"Four of them also face allegationsthat they breached the standards for use of force and for authority, respect and courtesy.

"Three of the five - all police constables - will face allegationsthat they breached the standards for honesty and integrity and one will face an allegationthey breached the police standards of professional behaviour for orders and instructions.

"These matters were assessed as gross misconductso it will be for the disciplinary panel, led by an independent legally qualified chair to determine whether or not the allegationsare proven.

"A sixth officer will attend a misconductmeeting for alleged breaches of the standards for authority, respect and courtesy, duties and responsibilities and for use of force, assessed as misconduct."

We also investigated a complaint about a MERLIN* report relating to the baby, that had been completed by one of the officers and was then passed to the local authority. We have directed the MPS to determine what action it should take over that report and particularly to consider deleting it and make all reasonable efforts to arrange for the local authority to do so.

And we investigated a complaint about the appropriateness of a statement made on 15 July 2020 to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee by Sir Stephen House, the then deputy Commissioner, after our investigationhad begun. The complainants believed it impacted negatively on their lives and their baby. We have directed that the MPS determine what action it should take and, in particular, whether it should apologise to the couple.

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Leads and manages the development of the police service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The body that represents the interests of all police constables, sergeants, and inspectors.

Deals with someone's inability or failure to perform to a satisfactory level, but without breaching the Standards of Professional Behaviour.

Focuses on putting an issue right and preventing it from happening again by encouraging those involved to reflect on their actions and learn. It is not a disciplinary process or a disciplinary outcome.

Department within a police force that deals with complaints and conduct matters.

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You can request a review/appeal if you're not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled.

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Disapplication means that a police force may handle a complaint in whatever way it thinks fit, including not dealing with it under complaints legislation. This may only happen in certain circumstances where the complaint fits one or more of the grounds for disapplication set out in law.

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A breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour that would justify at least a written warning.

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You can request a review/appeal if you're not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled.

You can request a review/appeal if you're not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled.

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