Bianca Williams: Met Police refers itself to watchdog after athlete complains
Last Updated: 07/07/20 7:07pm
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog after a stop and search involving athlete Bianca Williams.
Williams has hit out the way she and her partner Ricardo dos Santos were treated by police after a traffic stop in London at the weekend.
The pair were handcuffed and separated from their three-month-old son - and Williams subsequently said the "horrific" incident had left her "really scared".
A Met statement on Tuesday evening confirmed the service had made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
They added: "We have now recorded this incident as a public complaint.
"The decision to refer to the IOPC has been taken due to the complaint being recorded and the significant public interest in this matter, and we welcome independent scrutiny of the facts.
"Two reviews of the circumstances by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards have not identified misconduct for any officer involved."
On Monday, a Met Police spokesperson said no further action was needed after viewing footage of the incident.
The statement said: "Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards have reviewed both footage from social media, and the body-worn video of the officers, and are satisfied that there is no concern around the officers' conduct."
The police released a subsequent statement in which the commander for Central West Helen Harper said they were "really keen to speak personally to the occupants of the vehicle, to discuss what happened and the concerns they have".
Williams has suggested Met Police commissioner Cressida Dick should consider stepping down.
The 26-year-old athlete said: "There's been so much going on in the media and she's not really had anything to say or had an open letter."
