WG, a black man, was driving home from work in early 2022 when he was stopped by Metropolitan Police officers outside his home. Despite exiting his vehicle as requested and explaining to the officers that he was outside his home, he was immediately detained and handcuffed for a prolonged period. He was subsequently breathalysed before being released with no further action taken given that he had not drunk any alcohol that evening.
Following the stop, WG pursued a civil claim against the Metropolitan Police for assault, false imprisonment and race discrimination. In response to the claim, the Met have now been forced to pay WG £25,000 in damages.
Meanwhile, despite a highly critical report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards (PSD) have, on two separate occasions, investigated and failed to uphold any complaints against the officers involved.
The IOPC criticisms include that:
“The officers seem confused on their grounds and what legal power they were using.”
“The officer suggests in his account that there was a concern over car theft, but this is not maintained as a reason and seems ingenuine.”
“There is the mention of WG driving a “nice car” at night, which in my view is a dubious basis for a stop and could be consistent with a well-known stereotype. This is a questionable ground for suspicion…”
Erica San and Megan Phillips of Bhatt Murphy act for WG.
