A Metropolitan Police officer is facing charges of assaulting a woman who was mistakenly arrested in Croydon on accusations of evading a bus fare while her young son was present. PC Perry Lathwood, aged 49, assigned to the Met’s Road Traffic Policing Command, is scheduled to appear in court next month in connection to this incident.
According to reports, the woman sustained bruising injuries to her arm during the arrest, which took place on July 21 of the previous year on Whitehorse Road. Subsequently, it was established that she had indeed paid the bus fare, leading to her de-arrest.
At the time, a video of the incident circulated widely on social media. The woman’s arrest occurred during a ‘revenue protection operation’ conducted jointly by the Roads and Transport Policing Command and Transport for London.
The decision to charge PC Perry Lathwood follows an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which concluded in December. Lathwood is expected to make his appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 14.
Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, responsible for policing in Croydon, expressed concern regarding the charging of an officer with assault. He emphasized the importance of officers justifying their use of force and revealed that the Metropolitan Police Service had contacted the IOPC to seek urgent clarification on the grounds for this decision.
