Two Met officers committed gross misconduct in stop and search of black athletes

Ricardo Dos Santos and his partner Bianca Williams made a complaint saying they were racially profiled during an encounter with a group of officers.

Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo Dos Santos (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

The behaviour of two Metropolitan Police officers amounted to gross misconduct over the stop and search of two black athletes, a disciplinary hearing has found.

Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, 28, and his partner and Team GB athlete Bianca Williams, 29, made a complaint to the police watchdog saying they were racially profiled during an encounter with a group of officers on July 4 2020.

Five officers – Acting Police Sergeant Rachel Simpson, Pc Allan Casey, Pc Jonathan Clapham, Pc Michael Bond and Pc Sam Franks – were accused of breaching police standards during the stop and search and all gave evidence over the course of the misconduct hearing in which they denied accusations of racism.

The police followed the athletes as they drove to their west London home from training with their baby son, then three months old, in the back seat of their Mercedes.

The panel heard they followed Mr Dos Santos in their police carrier because of the “appalling” and “suspicious” nature of his driving and were doing their duty when they conducted the stop and search.

The couple were handcuffed and searched on suspicion of having drugs and weapons after they were pulled over outside their property, but nothing was found.

On Wednesday, the panel found Pc Clapham and Pc Franks had lied about smelling cannabis during the stop and search.

Chairwoman Chiew Yin Jones said their conduct had breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of honesty and integrity and thus amounted to gross misconduct.

Pcs Casey and Bond and Ps Simpson were found not to have breached any standards.

Sanctions against Pcs Clapham and Franks will be delivered by the panel on Friday at noon.