Police denied the wrongdoing after Linford Christie athletes quit UK news

The city police said there was “no problem with misconduct” after their officers stopped and handcuffed two black athletes who had been trained by former Olympic champion Linford Christie.

The video of the incident in Maida Vale in West London on Saturday, released by Christie on Twitter, showed officials telling the occupants of the vehicle to be searched while an apparently desperate woman repeatedly said, “My son is in the car. ”

In another tweet, Christie, the most successful British and European sprinter, said the officials stopped the athletes who were out with their three-month-old baby in front of their house and attacked the male driver.

He asked Met chief Cressida Dick “or anyone else” to justify the behavior of the officials.

“Was it the suspicious car or the black family in it that led to such a violent confrontation and ultimately an accusation that the car smelled of weeds but refused to do a roadside drug test,” he wrote.

“This is not the first time that this has happened (the second time in two months). And I’m sure it won’t be the last time, but this kind of abuse of power and institutionalized racism can no longer be justified or normalized. “

The incident was the last in a series of videos posted on social media that officials have been accused of discriminating against their powers and / or violence, amid protests against Black Lives Matter that highlighted the problem.

In some cases, the armed forces have contacted the Independent Police Behavior Office under pressure. However, after reviewing the social media footage and videos from Saturday’s body-worn cameras, the Met said its officials had acted properly.

The stop took place around 1:25 p.m. and was conducted by the Territorial Support Group, which patrolled the area in response to an increase in gun violence.

The Met said the vehicle darkened the windows and drove “suspiciously”, also because it was on the wrong side of the road. It was said when the officials indicated that it should stop, the car sped off. Officials caught up with the vehicle when it stopped on Lanhill Road, but the driver initially refused to get out of the car, the Met said.

The inmates, a 25-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, were arrested for a search pursuant to Section 1 of the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act. After nothing was found in her person or in the vehicle, no arrests were made and they were released, the Met said.

Helen Harper, the commander of the Central West Basic Command Unit, said: “I understand the concern when such incidents happen and how they can occur when part of it is filmed without context.

“Because of the concern, we have reviewed the stop. This included social media material and body-worn camera shots of local officials. We are satisfied that there are no problems with misconduct.

“The officers were deployed to a forceful area in London and the type of driving raised suspicions. It is only right that they act accordingly. We are open to discussing the incident with the people involved if they so wish. “