'Reasonable force' used during arrest of actor

Reece Richards was returning home after performing in the West End musical Hairspray when he was arrested

The use of force by Met Police officers during the arrest of the actor Reece Richards "was reasonable in the circumstances", the police watchdog has found.

The star of Netflix's Sex Education said he was pepper sprayed, thrown to the ground and kicked when he was arrested in Fulham, west London, in September. Officers had mistaken him for a criminal suspect.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also did not uphold a complaint by Mr Richards that he was treated in a discriminatory manner because he was black, and said no officers would be disciplined.

The Met Police said it was "pleased" with the decision but acknowledged the incident must have been "distressing" for the actor.

'Innocent bystander'

Mr Richards said he was on his way home from a West End performance of Hairspray the Musical on 4 September, when he said he witnessed a car crash and two men running away.

When he pointed out to police the direction in which the two men had fled, he was restrained by four officers who sat on him, worsening some existing injuries, he said.

Mr Richards and his mother later complained to the IOPC, claiming false arrest and racial profiling.

The IOPC's director Amanda Rowe acknowledged that the incident would have had an impact on the actor.

"He was an innocent bystander and this would have been a frightening experience," she said. "Mr Richards' complaint detailed his understandable belief that he was detained and arrested because he was black, although the suspects were white.

"We found that officers were responding to a fast-moving incident and - given the only description of the suspects was that one was wearing dark clothing and their location - it was reasonable that the officer who saw Mr Richards and detained him thought he was a suspect.

"The evidence indicated that the officers' use of force was reasonable in the circumstances they encountered... and Mr Richards was de-arrested as soon officers confirmed he was not involved."

The officers were pursuing a car when the vehicle crashed and those inside ran off, the IOPC said.

The only description given to the officers was that one suspect was in dark clothing.

CCTV footage showed Mr Richards walking along Fulham Palace Road, near the collision, when one of the suspects ran past him, chased by an officer.

The actor dropped his backpack and ran, the watchdog said.

A lone officer then stopped Mr Richards, mistaking him for one of the suspects, before two more officers arrived and told him to get to the ground.

Following a "struggle", one of the officers used PAVA a synthetic pepper spray - on Mr Richards and he was handcuffed, the IOPC said, before being de-arrested a few minutes later.

'I was face down on the pavement'

The actor said on Instagram after the incident that he was the victim of an "unlawful arrest".

He added: "I was confused, unable to understand why I was suddenly being treated like a criminal.

"Calmly, I explained that I was a performer returning from a show, but one officer yelled, 'get to the floor or I'll pepper spray you'.

"Moments later, three more officers ran at me. They pepper sprayed me, kicked my legs out from under me, threw me to the ground and handcuffed me.

"In a flash, I was face down on the pavement with multiple officers holding me down, forcing my head into the ground."

Met Police Cdr Owain Richards said: "We are pleased the IOPC was able to determine the officers acted in good faith and appropriately.

"This was a fast-moving incident during which they were trying to detain three men who had fled from police during a pursuit. Their use of force was reasonable in the circumstances.

"Mr Richards was swiftly de-arrested as soon as officers confirmed he was not a suspect, but we absolutely acknowledge how distressing it must have been to be caught up in such an incident."