Two Metropolitan Police officers, PC Jonathan Clapham and PC Sam Franks, have been deemed guilty of gross misconduct in connection with the controversial stop and search of Olympic sprinter Ricardo dos Santos, 28, and Team GB athlete Bianca Williams, 29. Dos Santos and Williams filed a complaint with the police watchdog, alleging racial profiling during the incident, which occurred while the couple was traveling home with their three-month-old son after a training session on July 4, 2020.
The officers falsely claimed to have detected the smell of cannabis during the stop and search. Acting Police Sergeant Rachel Simpson, PC Allan Casey, and PC Michael Bond were cleared of any wrongdoing, while PC Jonathan Clapham and PC Sam Franks were found guilty for lying about the grounds for the search. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) argued that the detention of dos Santos and Williams was racially motivated, branding it “excessive, unreasonable, and unjustified.”
