Met Police pays £45,000 to unlawfully arrested black driver

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29278175

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The Metropolitan Police has paid £45,000 in damages to a black motorist who claimed he was struck with batons during an unlawful arrest.

Nordell Edmondson was pulled over in 2011. He later launched a civil claim for race discrimination, assault, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Scotland Yard settled the case out of court and apologised for the incident.

But Mr Edmondson said the Met had sent apologies before, and he wanted changes to prevent it happening again.

'Bashed in the head'

Mr Edmondson, 34, was arrested in Edgware in January 2011 while he was out buying nappies for his daughters.

"I was sitting there just getting pummelled on, beaten, bashed in the head," he told Channel 4 News.

He was charged with resisting arrest, but the arrest was ruled unlawful by a judge at a trial in 2012 and he was declared not guilty.

In a statement, his solicitors, Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, said: "Mr Edmondson was arrested in 2011, wrongfully accused of driving without insurance and subjected to baton strikes and CS spray.

"He has written to the Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe requesting an investigation of the officers involved and still awaits a response.

'No misconduct'

"Bhatt Murphy has also now asked the IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) to investigate."

Scotland Yard said its directorate of professional standards (DPS) had been asked to look at the case twice before and found there was no misconduct by officers.

In a statement, it said: "Following a recent request made in a letter from Mr Edmondson's solicitor the matter has been referred to the DPS to consider once more.

"The MPS has also apologised and acknowledged the distress caused to him."