Today the IOPC published the outcome of its investigation into the complaints of Reece Richards, who suffered a violent arrest and detention by officers of the Metropolitan Police on 4 September 2024.
Mr Richards had complained to the IOPC that the officers had refused to accept or even listen to his account and explanation of his presence at the scene of the incident. He complained the officers ignored his explanations and acted on their interpretation of the circumstances which in the absence of alternative explanations appear tainted with racial bias. Mr Richards further complained that he had been subject to grossly excessive force by officers who took him to the ground and pinned him down, deployed pepper spray directly in his eyes without warning, and handcuffed him.
The IOPC found that Mr Richards had not been warned before the force was deployed against him, and that he had been on his knees with his hands in the air, explaining that he was a performer who lived across the street. Despite this the IOPC found the force used against Mr Richards was reasonable in the circumstances. The IOPC also found that the tactics used ‘may have been inappropriate’, but did not recommend any learning based on these concerns.
Reece Richards responded to the outcome report saying:
In September last year, I was treated as a suspect and subjected to excessive force by police officers who were pursuing a car containing suspects of a burglary who were white men.
I did everything I could to assist the police, telling them I was a performer in Hairspray returning to my home across the street. I was compliant – kneeling with my hands in the air – and yet I was then tackled to the ground and pepper sprayed. I am astonished that the IOPC have not taken issue with the violent conduct of the officers that night. Sadly, at every stage of the investigation, the IOPC failed to take my complaints seriously, refusing to formally investigate whether race played a factor in my treatment, and accept the officers’ implausible explanations. I do not believe that the Met’s institutional racism will be dealt with until the police watchdog does its job of holding the force to account. I shall be taking advice on the appropriate challenge to the IOPC decision.
Background
- In September last year, Mr Richards was walking home on FaceTime to his cast-mates after performing in Hairspray in Milton Keynes. A car crashed into a lamp post beside him and two white men exited the vehicle, who were then chased by police officers. Mr Richards turned to assist police, but was confronted by an officer holding a weapon towards him. Mr Richards backed into a garage and got to his knees with his hands in the air.
- Footage of the incident shows Mr Richards imploring the officer, explaining that he is an actor in Hairspray, a musical, and that he lived in the block of flats across the street. The officer refused to engage in his explanations. Two further officers then ran at Mr Richards, took him forcibly to the ground, sprayed his face with PAVA spray, handcuffed him and arrested him on suspicion of attempted burglary.
- Mr Richards’ mother, neighbours, and eventually Director of Hairspray and Loose Women Brenda Edwards attended the scene and pleaded Mr Richards non-involvement with the incident.
- Mr Richards was de-arrested at the scene but offered no apology. He continues to suffer physically and psychologically from the incident.
- The IOPC noted that three of the four officers involved in this incident had previously been subjects of complaints relating to discrimination which were also not upheld.
- The 2023 Casey Report found that 25 years since the MacPherson Inquiry, the Metropolitan Police remains institutionally racist: Baroness Casey Final Report: March 2023. Casey found that Black people in London aged 11 to 61 years old are over three times more likely to be handcuffed than white people of the same age, 4.5 times more likely to have a baton used against them and nearly four times as likely to have a taser fired by Metropolitan Police officers.
- Mr Richards’ MP, Mr Ben Coleman, has written to the IOPC to ask what steps it intends to take to reassure black and ethnic minority complainants that the IOPC is an organisation they can trust to fully investigate allegations where race is a factor. No response has yet been received.
Mr Richards is being represented by Jules Carey, Jessica Webster, Naz Mahmoudzadeh and Elisia Reid in our Actions Against Police and State team
For more information on our Actions Against Police and State services, please visit the page here.