Two Metropolitan Police officers wrongfully detained and arrested a mother in front of her child, alleging she tried to skip out on paying a fare on the bus in Croydon, South London, according to reports.
The mother had paid the fare but did not confirm it with the Transport for London (TfL) ticket inspector on duty on Friday, July 21. The British police agency now faces intense criticism as a viral video captured the altercation and spread rapidly online, according to the Independent UK.
One complaint said officers profiled the woman because she was Black.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist says that the public is getting a mere snapshot of what transpired, claiming that the mom had become “abusive” to officers before the arrest.
“The woman involved in this incident was asked to provide her ticket as she got off the bus, but did not do so,” a statement from the Met Police read. “She was spoken to by a TfL inspector, then by a PCSO, and finally by a police officer. She continued to try to walk away and did not provide her ticket for inspection.”
The video shows the mother pleading with an officer to let her go, insisting she did nothing wrong, while a bystander records the incident and questions the officers about why she is being arrested.
She says in the clip, “What the hell?” and “What the f–k is going on?” as two male officers hold her arms.
The PCSO is the police community support officer group that works in a neighborhood and assists authorities in preventing crime. The PCSO kept the child as the police detained the mother and said they regretted that incident.
Eventually, the officer checks her valid ticket, uncuffs her, and allows her to go free.
Various politicians spoke out about the footage. Some acknowledged a need for transparency but also voice concerns for the child’s well-being.
“There is a distressing video circulating online with a woman handcuffed in front of her young son,” tweeted Labour MP for Vauxhall Florence Eshalomi. “Please be careful sharing this online to help protect this young boy who is very traumatised by the situation. Myself and other colleges have raised this with the Mayor of London.”
“The most disrespected person is the Black woman. The most unprotected person is the Black woman. The most neglected person is the Black woman,” MP Claudia Webbe said. “The Met Police is the boot of the state; they do not care about Black people, and Black women in particular.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan released a statement via a spokesperson saying he saw the footage and was troubled by it. He has since referred the matter to the IOPC, a police watchdog organization, for an independent review.
Outside of the mayor’s outreach to the IOPC, the agency said someone had claimed the woman, who is Black, was “racially profiled and verbally abused by an officer.”
“We will now assess the referral and decide if any further action is required from us,” a representative for the IOPC noted.
On Monday, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said she understands why the public is up in arms after seeing the footage but noted her agency’s efforts to speak to the mother.
“We are seeking to make contact with the female in question to understand the wider circumstances,” Jessah said.
Met Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain of the South Basic Command Unit said in an interview with the BBC that the department wants “to get her side of the story” because “trust has taken a hit.”
