Two Met Police officers guilty of gross misconduct over stop and search of black athletes Bianca Williams and Ricardo dos Santos

Two Metropolitan Police officers have been found guilty of gross misconduct over the stop and search of two black athletes.

Olympic sprinter Ricardo dos Santos, 28, and his partner and Team GB athlete Bianca Williams, 29, made a complaint to the police watchdog, believing they were racially profiled during a “disturbing” stop and search as they drove to their home in west London on 4 July 2020.

PC Jonathan Clapham and PC Sam Franks have been found guilty of gross misconduct over the search.

The police followed them as they travelled home from training in their Mercedes with their baby son, who was then three months old.

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.

Acting Police Sergeant Rachel Simpson, PC Allan Casey, PC Jonathan Clapham, PC Michael Bond and PC Sam Franks had all denied the accusations against them, including allegations they breached police standards over equality and diversity during the stop and search.

The disciplinary hearing has not yet come to a ruling on the case against Sergeant Simpson, PC Casey and PC Bond.

The Independent Office For Police Conduct (IOPC) brought the case against the five officers and said the detention of Mr Dos Santos and Ms Williams was “because they were black” and was “excessive, unreasonable and unjustified”.

Karon Monaghan KC, for the IOPC, told the panel at the start of the hearing there is “institutional discrimination” in the Met Police.

The IOPC’s case relied on wider documents and reports that indicated black people are “much more likely” to be stopped and searched in London more generally, and that black people are “routinely treated” with “more suspicion and hostility” by police officers and “stereotyped as criminal”.

Mr Dos Santos accused the officers of detaining him for “DWB – driving while black” and told the panel he had been “afraid” for the safety of his partner and his son during the encounter with the officers.