Inspector Charles Ehikioya with the car that he was stopped in. Photo: Charles Ehikioya
A black police officer intends to sue London’s Metropolitan Police after he was pulled over by two white police officers while driving home.Inspector Charles Ehikioya was driving in Croydon, south London, when two officers pulled him over because of his speed, and “because it looked like he went through a red light”. Ehikioya was asked for his driving licence, insurance details, and to prove that he had not stolen the car, was not intoxicated and had not been using his phone.Ehikioya believes he was racially profiled.Speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Ehikioya – who has been on the force for 22 years – said he was suing because his complaints had been ignored. “I feel that this has not been taken seriously and has not been listened to, but instead I am being persecuted, and I am not prepared to sit quietly. Therefore, I have no choice but to react in the way I am reacting. Enough talk – action speaks louder than words,” he said.The Met told PA that they had received an internal complaint, but “found no evidence of misconduct”. No action was taken against Ehikioya as a result of the stop, they said.One officer said Ehikioya’s driving had been “unusual”. Ehikioya disputed this, and was accused of being “obstructive”. “These were alleged offences that could have ended my whole career,” he told the BBC.The incident follows a number of high-profile incidents of alleged racial profiling by the Met. Labour MP Dawn Butler said she was profiled after she and a friend were stopped while driving to Sunday lunch. In July, British sprinter Bianca Williams received an apology from the Met, having been pulled over in west London. In June, Neomi Bennett, a nurse who had won a British Empire Medal for her services to nursing, made a legal complaint after being stopped in her car late at night by police.@SimonChilds13
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