LONDON (KI) -- A shocking video shows a woman being arrested in front of her crying child after the Metropolitan Police in London accused her of not paying for a bus ticket.
The footage, which has been posted on social media, shows the mother being held by officers as her young son cries hysterically in desperation.Passers-by on the street in Croydon, south London, demand to know why the woman is being handcuffed.
Eyewitnesses to the incident, which took place in Croydon on Friday July 21, claimed that the boy was separated from his mother, and that there were as many as 14 police officers present.
Police arrested the woman, they said, because she was asked to confirm with a revenue inspector that she had paid her bus fare, but did not agree.
They handcuffed and arrested her on suspicion of fare evasion because, as they claimed, she became abusive.
In response to the video, the force defended the officers’ actions, stating that the woman was thought to have not paid her bus fare. This was later proved wrong and she was allowed to walk away.
“We are aware of a video circulating showing a female being handcuffed by police,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
“When it was later established that the woman had paid she was de-arrested and allowed to go on her way,” it said.
The woman “left the bus after not complying with a revenue inspector’s request to check that she has paid her fare. When asked to stop by police she attempted to walk off and became abusive. As a result she was arrested on suspicion of fare evasion and detained,” it said.
Labour MP for Vauxhall Florence Eshalomi tweeted: “There is a distressing video circulating online with a woman handcuffed in front of her young son.
“Please be careful sharing this online to help protect this young boy who is very traumatized by the situation. Myself and other colleges have raised this with the Mayor of London.”
Fellow MP Claudia Webbe said: “The most disrespected person is the black woman. The most unprotected person is the black woman. The most neglected person is the black woman.
“The Met Police is the boot of the state; they do not care about black people, and black women in particular.”
With the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to investigate, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said on Monday: “We know that this is a distressing video to watch, even more so as a child is seen to be visibly upset by the way in which his mother has been apprehended. We regret the upset that has been caused to the child.”
Twitter commentators said the officers’ behavior was “disgusting” and made their “blood run cold”.
“That poor little boy is going to
have to live with this for the rest of his life, let alone the woman! Hope they are both well away from this and that they get the right help after the trauma as well. Made my blood run cold,” wrote one.
UK government official Louise Casey, in her 363-page report in March, described the country’s law enforcement agency as an institutionally homophobic, misogynistic, racist, and sexist force in charge of policing the nation.
The report revealed that the organization hasn’t treated violence against women and girls as seriously as other forms of violence.
“The de-prioritization and de-specialization of public protection has put women and children at greater risk than necessary,” the review said. “Despite some outstanding experienced senior officers, an overworked inexperienced workforce polices child protection, rape and serious sexual offenses.”
The report also cited widespread bullying and discrimination in the department. It also highlighted the fact that the department is still disproportionately white. The report was commissioned after a serving officer raped and killed Sarah Everard, a young marketing executive in March 2021, sparking national outcry. The case was one of a series of scandals tarnishing UK police’s image.
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