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LONDON — Two London police officers who were fired over a stop and search of two Black athletes have been given their jobs back after they won an appeal against their dismissals on Friday.
British sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner, Portuguese 400-meter runner Ricardo dos Santos, were followed and pulled over by police outside their house in west London in July 2020 because officers said they were suspicious about how the vehicle was being driven.
Footage of the incident was widely shared on social media showing Williams — a Commonwealth Games gold medalist — handcuffed and in a distressed state. The couple’s baby was in the back of the car when they were being searched.
The incident led to accusations that the couple had been stopped because they were Black and in an expensive car.
Officers Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks were reinstated after a police appeal panel overturned a previous finding of gross misconduct against them that said they had lied about smelling cannabis at the time of the incident.
“The evidence has shown that the stop and search and the actions of the officers did not amount to misconduct. However, stop and search is most effective when used with the trust and confidence of Londoners,” London’s Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell said.
Following Friday’s hearing, the BBC reported that the Police Appeals Tribunal had found the original decision to be “irrational” and “inconsistent.” The full written judgment is yet to be published.
Dos Santos called the appeal outcome “disappointing” and said the couple planned to challenge it, according to a statement shared by Jules Carey, who has represented the athletes since the incident.
The original misconduct panel noted in its report last year that it could not discount the possibility that there might have been a smell of cannabis from another source, given that “cannabis is regularly smelt on the streets of London.”