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Labour MP Dawn Butler says racism led to police car stop | Labour MP Dawn Butler says racism led to police car stop |
(32 minutes later) | |
A Labour MP has accused police of racism after she was stopped while travelling in a car in east London. | A Labour MP has accused police of racism after she was stopped while travelling in a car in east London. |
Former shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler tweeted she had been pulled over in Hackney and had recorded the stop. | Former shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler tweeted she had been pulled over in Hackney and had recorded the stop. |
In an interview with the Guardian, the MP for Brent Central described how the experience showed "the system is institutionally racist". | In an interview with the Guardian, the MP for Brent Central described how the experience showed "the system is institutionally racist". |
The Met said the stop was a mistake caused by an officer incorrectly entering the car's registration number. | The Met said the stop was a mistake caused by an officer incorrectly entering the car's registration number. |
The car was being driven by a male friend who is also black, Ms Butler told the Guardian, and it was pulled over by two police cars. | The car was being driven by a male friend who is also black, Ms Butler told the Guardian, and it was pulled over by two police cars. |
She told the paper officers said the car was registered in North Yorkshire and took the car keys while checking the registration. | She told the paper officers said the car was registered in North Yorkshire and took the car keys while checking the registration. |
They then admitted there had been a mistake, that it was registered to the driver, and apologised, the Guardian reported. | They then admitted there had been a mistake, that it was registered to the driver, and apologised, the Guardian reported. |
'Ridiculous reason to stop' | |
In a video of part of the stop, which happened at about 12:00 BST on Sunday, she is heard telling the officers: "It is really quite irritating. It's like you cannot drive around and enjoy a Sunday afternoon whilst black, because you're going to be stopped by police." | |
She goes on to say: "If you are driving outside the area, I think that's a ridiculous reason to stop. | She goes on to say: "If you are driving outside the area, I think that's a ridiculous reason to stop. |
"If you are profiling people who are driving in a certain type of car, that's an inappropriate reason to stop, and if you are profiling people because of the colour of their skin, that's an inappropriate reason to stop." | "If you are profiling people who are driving in a certain type of car, that's an inappropriate reason to stop, and if you are profiling people because of the colour of their skin, that's an inappropriate reason to stop." |
One of the officers in the video tells her: "I appreciate everything you say and I do apologise for wasting your time." | One of the officers in the video tells her: "I appreciate everything you say and I do apologise for wasting your time." |
In her interview Ms Butler told the Guardian: "It makes you realise that there's something really not right with the system." | In her interview Ms Butler told the Guardian: "It makes you realise that there's something really not right with the system." |
Ch Supt Roy Smith tweeted earlier to say he had spoken to the MP who had "given me a very balanced account of the incident". | Ch Supt Roy Smith tweeted earlier to say he had spoken to the MP who had "given me a very balanced account of the incident". |
The Met Police officer added the force "are listening" to concerns she had about the police stop and the officers involved and she was "quite entitled to raise them". | The Met Police officer added the force "are listening" to concerns she had about the police stop and the officers involved and she was "quite entitled to raise them". |
In a statement the police force said: "Prior to stopping the vehicle, an officer incorrectly entered the registration into a police computer which identified the car as registered to an address in Yorkshire. | In a statement the police force said: "Prior to stopping the vehicle, an officer incorrectly entered the registration into a police computer which identified the car as registered to an address in Yorkshire. |
"Upon stopping the vehicle and speaking with the driver, it quickly became apparent that the registration had been entered incorrectly and was registered to the driver in London. | "Upon stopping the vehicle and speaking with the driver, it quickly became apparent that the registration had been entered incorrectly and was registered to the driver in London. |
"Once the mistake was realised the officer sought to explain this to the occupants; they were then allowed on their way. | "Once the mistake was realised the officer sought to explain this to the occupants; they were then allowed on their way. |
"No searches were carried out on any individuals." | "No searches were carried out on any individuals." |
The force said "one of the occupants" had been contacted by a senior officer and they had discussed "subsequent interaction as well as feedback regarding the stop". | The force said "one of the occupants" had been contacted by a senior officer and they had discussed "subsequent interaction as well as feedback regarding the stop". |
It added: "We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further with the occupants if they wish to do so." | It added: "We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further with the occupants if they wish to do so." |
The statement did not explain why the registration was entered in the first place. | |
'So unsurprising' | |
This week Ms Butler was named by Vogue magazine as one of the 25 most influential women for her support of Black Lives Matter protests. | |
She has previously described how her backing of the anti-racism movement had to threats on her office and staff and last month had to shut it for safety. | |
Former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott tweeted that Ms Butler's experience on Sunday was "so unsurprising". | |
Last month the Met apologised to GB sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo dos Santos who were pulled from their car and handcuffed in front of their three-month-old son. | |
Nothing was found in the search and the Met referred itself to the police watchdog. | |
On Saturday, Ms Butler wrote in her Metro column that Met Commissioner Cressida Dick appeared "incapable" of tackling institutional racism in the police and called for her resignation. | |
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating whether officers in England and Wales racially discriminate against ethnic minority people. | |
The latest official statistics for stop and search showed a disparity rate of 4.3 for all black, Asian and minority ethnic people and 9.7 for black people. | |
The BBC has contacted Ms Butler for comment. | The BBC has contacted Ms Butler for comment. |