Police probe actor's mistaken pepper-spray arrest

The mistaken apprehension of an histrion who says helium was pepper-sprayed, kicked and thrown to the crushed by officers successful westbound London is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

Reece Richards, a prima of the Netflix amusement Sex Education, was returning location to Fulham connected 4 September aft performing successful the philharmonic Hairspray erstwhile helium says helium witnessed a car clang and 2 men fleeing connected foot.

Despite pointing retired the absorption successful which the 2 men had fled, helium says 4 officers sat connected him, worsening injuries to his back, ribs and stomach.

The unit has admitted capsicum spray was utilized and said its directorate of nonrecreational standards, which investigates complaints, had been informed.

The Met said officers were pursuing a suspected stolen car with mendacious plates earlier the incidental involving Mr Richards, who has accused the unit of "racial profiling".

Scotland Yard added that earlier Mr Richards had been de-arrested connected Fulham Palace Road "a Taser was pointed but not discharged".

The constabulary watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was "not alert of immoderate referral [from the Metropolitan Police] astatine this time".

A video, shared by Mr Richards and Hairspray manager Brenda Edwards, appears to amusement a fig of constabulary officers holding an idiosyncratic to the floor.

Writing connected Instagram, Mr Richards said helium had complained to the Metropolitan Police and the constabulary watchdog astir what helium called "racial profiling" successful the incident, successful the aboriginal hours of 4 September.

The histrion said: "In a flash, I was face-down connected the pavement with aggregate officers holding maine down, forcing my caput into the ground.

"I couldn't spot anything, but I could perceive my mum nearby, screaming and crying, begging them to fto maine go.

"That feeling of helplessness volition ne'er permission me. The full acquisition was embarrassing, profoundly upsetting, and exhausting.

"I won’t remainder until I’ve gotten to the bottommost of this and I americium profoundly saddened for anyone other who has been done this."

He added: "I bash everything I tin to debar interactions with the police, yet this acquisition has made it painfully wide that radical profiling remains a important issue."

The Hairspray UK Tour Instagram relationship posted: "We basal successful afloat enactment and solidarity with Reece Richards , a valued subordinate of our formed who was wrongfully targeted by the Met Police whilst making his mode location aft a show of Hairspray the Musical."

It added that it "strongly condemns immoderate signifier of racism" and was "offering him our afloat enactment during this hard time".

The Met said the driver, aged 15, had been arrested astatine the country for failing to stop, unsafe driving and burglary.

Scotland Yard said 2 passengers, aged 20 and 21, had tally disconnected but were located nearby.

Both were arrested connected suspicion of theft of a centrifugal vehicle, portion the 20-year-old was besides held connected suspicion of being successful possession of a pointed oregon bladed article.

As a precaution, each 3 were taken to infirmary wherever their injuries were assessed arsenic not being life-threatening oregon life-changing.