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Investigation into complaint of racial profiling after the Metropolitan Police Service detained a man in Lewisham

Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.

All IOPC reports
Published
2020-07-30
Investigation type
independent
Force involved
Metropolitan Police Service

What was investigated

The IOPC is investigating a complaint of racial profiling following the detention of a man by MPS officers on 13 May 2020. This investigation was triggered by a referral from MPS received on 18 May 2020 after the man was handcuffed and searched without further action taken against him.

Key findings

  • The man was handcuffed and searched by MPS officers.
  • No further action was taken after the search.
  • The MPS voluntarily referred the matter for independent scrutiny.
  • Concerns have been raised about disproportionality in police use of force.
  • The IOPC is examining if officer actions were motivated by racial discrimination.

Outcome

The investigation is ongoing, and the IOPC aims to determine whether police actions were appropriate and proportionate.

Read the full report on policeconduct.gov.uk

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Reviewed by the BlueLineHub Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026 · Next review due: 13 January 2027

This is a factual summary of a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Individuals are referred to exactly as the source report anonymises them. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the IOPC · Summarised 2026-07-13.