Croydon bus fare arrest: Police watchdog wants witnesses

The woman was arrested despite having paid her fare for the 157 bus

The police watchdog wants witnesses who saw a woman being arrested in front of her child after wrongly being accused of bus fare evasion to come forward.

Footage of the mother shouting as two officers handcuffed her in Croydon, south London, on the morning of 21 July, provoked criticism online.

She was de-arrested when police were told she had paid the 157 bus fare.

The Met said the video was a "snapshot" of the incident, on Whitehorse Road, but admitted "trust had taken a hit".

Last week, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it had opened an investigation.

The IOPC urged those who recorded the incident on their phones not to share footage online "out of concern for the privacy of the woman and her young son".

IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: "We know that footage widely shared on social media does not show the full incident and we are working to piece together all of the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

"Therefore, it's important that we speak with anyone who witnessed any part of this incident and that we gather all relevant footage that may assist our investigation."

The woman was arrested on Whitehorse Road

The IOPC received a "complaint referral" from the Met on 24 July, which alleged the woman was "racially profiled and verbally abused by an officer".

Police officers were working with Transport for London (TfL) inspectors when the woman was handcuffed.

The Met said the woman left the bus after not complying with a revenue inspector's request to check that she had paid the £1.75 fare.

According to the Met, she attempted to walk off and became "abusive" when asked to stop, and was arrested on suspicion of fare evasion and detained.

In the video, she repeatedly asks one of the officers to let go and says: "I haven't done anything wrong," while a member of the public films what is happening and asks why she is being arrested.

Once officers confirmed she had paid, she was unhandcuffed and released.

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