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.
Footage of the altercation was shared by various politicians, some acknowledging a need for transparency but also voicing concerns for the child’s well-being.
“There is a distressing video circulating online with a woman handcuffed in front of…
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