Bianca Williams search: Met Police officers to face gross-misconduct hearings

Five Metropolitan Police officers will face a gross-misconduct hearing over the stop-and-search of Team GB athlete Bianca Williams, following an investigation by the police watchdog.

The British sprinter, 28, and her partner, were stopped in their car, in west London, in July 2020.

The couple were handcuffed, searched for weapons and drugs and separated from their three-month-old son.

An independent panel will now determine whether to uphold the allegations.

The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) after footage of the stop-and-search was posted online by former Olympic champion sprinter Linford Christie, who trains Ms Williams and her partner, Portuguese sprinter Ricardo dos Santos.

The couple believe they were racially profiled and stopped because they are black.

Ms Williams, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said the decision to hold a hearing "opens the door for the Met to start being more honest and reflective about the culture of racism which is undoubtedly still a reality within the organisation".

Publishing the findings of the IOPC investigation, on Wednesday, regional director Sal Naseem said all five officers - an acting sergeant and four constables - would face allegations they had breached police standards of professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities and for equality and diversity.

Four officers also face allegations they breached the standards for use of force and for authority, respect and courtesy.

Three of the constables will face allegations they breached the standards for honesty and integrity and one will face an allegation they breached the police standards of professional behaviour for orders and instructions.

A sixth officer will attend a misconduct meeting related to the stop-and-search.

If a police officer is found guilty of gross misconduct, disciplinary action can include being sacked, demoted or receiving a written warning.

Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bas Javid said sorry for the "distress that this incident clearly caused Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos" - repeating an apology made by the force three days after the search.

"We have co-operated fully with the IOPC's investigation and, in accordance with their direction, are now arranging for an independently led misconduct hearing to take place," he added.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the IOPC's findings and called for the hearing to be as soon as possible.

"This case is yet another example of why it is vital that the next [Met Police] commissioner has a more effective plan to tackle the serious cultural issues within the Met Police and to regain the trust of Londoners," he said.

Dame Cressida Dick quit as Met Police commissioner in February, when Mr Khan said he had lost confidence in her leadership.

A few weeks after the stop-and-search of Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos, Dame Cressida had told LBC radio she did not "personally accept" the video footage "reveals racism".

Ms Williams said Dame Cressida had made "public efforts to discredit and undermine our complaints and to trivialise the experiences of black people in the UK and how we are policed".

"I sincerely hope that the Met's culture of sweeping these issues under the carpet ends with the former commissioner," she added.

The IOPC said the Met should consider apologising for comments made shortly after the search by Dame Cressida's Deputy Commissioner at the time, Sir Stephen House.

In July 2020, he told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee internal reviews of the footage had not highlighted "anything wrong" with the officers' conduct.

In response, a Met official said on Wednesday: "Sir Stephen stands by his statement as being factually correct at the time and has written to the IOPC to reinforce the importance of senior officers being able to respond to questions from our scrutiny bodies openly and transparently and for advice and clarification of the IOPC's view of how he and his fellow chief officers, both in the Met and nationally, should respond to similar direct questioning in future."