Bianca Williams stop accusing race motivated

[eldar]

Bianca Williams: 'I've never had to experience anything like this', says British sprinter after police stop car https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/53305712

There is, according to the news, police body worn video of the event. This has not been released.

Is this going to be a case which is revolved by trial-by-video?

[mmm-five]

The supporters are pointing out:

• that there was a child in the car
• they were in a single lane road and had done nothing wrong
• it's racial profiling

The detractors are pointing out:

• the child has no bearing on the issue
• the offence they were stopped for (driving on the wrong side of the road, having a car with tinted windows) happened on another road, and they only finally stopped outside their own house after speeding off and being chased by the police
• the person in the rear of the car is giggling whilst the driver is asking why he's been stopped - and then flips into hysterics when the police open the door

I've only seen a video clip from one party, so can't say what actually happened!

[knk]

Bianca Williams: 'I've never had to experience anything like this'

Surely this is a good thing and indicates no pattern of targeting?

[Mort7]

"It's just nasty and the police were talking to him [Ricardo] as if he was scum, as if his life didn't matter."

Sorry, but that sounds contrived to me. If the police report is accurate (and it has been investigated) then I really don't see what the problem is. I worked shifts during the '70s and '80s, and when coming home in the early hours it wasn’t unusual to be stopped two or three times in a week. I never considered that to be a problem. Just the police doing their job as far as I was concerned.

[Mikebentley]

The Police clearly needed to stop them because of something and there seemed to be a few officers present. The short clip shows some degree of non compliance. It strikes me that a celebrity athlete is muddying the water’s. Hopefully the true facts will come out.

[Drive it fix it repeat]

Police have the right to pull you up and have a word with more or less no reason. I dont have a problem with that. Shouldn't matter if you are black, white, red or silver, I'm getting fed up of the racist card being played at every opportunity regardless of circumstance. If I were driving a car with tinted windows, on the wrong side of the road and then didnt immediately stop when requested to guess what they may be displeased and decide to have a chat. Sounds like they had a stty attitude.

[L1OFF]

It's a setup and doesn't ring true. I saw a longer video than that this one on the BBC (surprise?) , which shows views behind and at the side of the car prior to the stop. Too many police for a normal stop including a sergeant.

Edited by L1OFF on Monday 6th July 15:23

[Derek Smith]

Mort7 said:

"It's just nasty and the police were talking to him [Ricardo] as if he was scum, as if his life didn't matter."

Sorry, but that sounds contrived to me. If the police report is accurate (and it has been investigated) then I really don't see what the problem is. I worked shifts during the '70s and '80s, and when coming home in the early hours it wasn’t unusual to be stopped two or three times in a week. I never considered that to be a problem. Just the police doing their job as far as I was concerned.

I worked 18.00 to 14.00, although normally didn't get off before 16.00, I was always getting stopped, and I was a white, male police officer.

I had to drive/ride through a different police force so knew no one when I started but after about 18 months I'd been stopped so many times that police officers would wave to me as they'd recognise me. I was stopped a couple of times to be asked if I'd seen a vehicle, once a motorbike and I was able to give them direction.

One stop was for speeding, but I came past the parked panda too him to get my number, nor speed come to that. I waited for him at lights, as I didn't want a chase and got told off.

[wjb]

I wonder how some of you guys would react if you'd been stopped, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 times for no reason other than being black in a public place....

Would you all remain civilised, polite and calm?

Genuine question.

[Bigends]

Where did Police get their suspicion that there were weapons in the car to give them grounds to search I wonder?

[anonymous-user]

If the Met's Professional Standards have been through it and said the actions of the police were sound, then I'm fairly confident that'll be the case.

The driver may even be rather fortunate not to have been dealt with for any offences.

L1OFF said:

It's a setup and doesn't ring true. I saw a longer video that this one than on the BBC (surprise?) , which shows views behind and at the side of the car prior to the stop. Too many police for a normal stop including a sergeant.

Indeed, if the car has failed to stop then it's likely to attract lots of police officers quickly.

wjb said:

I wonder how some of you guys would react if you'd been stopped, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 times for no reason other than being black in a public place....

Would you all remain civilised, polite and calm?

Genuine question.

Has that happened here or is that whataboutism?

[wjb]

La Liga said:

as that happened here or is that whataboutism?

I've been stopped well over 50 times mate.

[FourWheelDrift]

wjb said:

I wonder how some of you guys would react if you'd been stopped, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 times for no reason other than being black in a public place....

Would you all remain civilised, polite and calm?

Genuine question.

I don't think many people on here, if any have been stopped 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 times for driving away from the police on the wrong side of the road in an illegally tinted car.

[Leon R]

wjb said:

La Liga said:

as that happened here or is that whataboutism?

I've been stopped well over 50 times mate.

Unless you are the person being discussed here is that relevant?

[Bigends]

Personally havent been pulled once by Police in over 45years of driving including 30years of shifts, driving home at all hours and driving some right old dogs in the early days.

Anyway - an interesting interview here -

https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nick-ferrar...

[L1OFF]

wjb said:

I wonder how some of you guys would react if you'd been stopped, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 times for no reason other than being black in a public place....

Would you all remain civilised, polite and calm?

Genuine question.

I used to get called out during evenings \ late quite often when I was an IBM engineer based at one of their manufacturing facilities, (I'm white) if it was near chucking out time for the local pubs I would be stopped fairly regularly. No issues I was just polite, no snide comments from me, answered the usual questions and on my way.

[anonymous-user]

wjb said:

La Liga said:

as that happened here or is that whataboutism?

I've been stopped well over 50 times mate.

So your own personal experience creating a hypothetical question that may have no relevance to the situation with Williams.

[mmm-five]

wjb said:

I wonder how some of you guys would react if you'd been stopped, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 times for no reason other than being black in a public place....

Would you all remain civilised, polite and calm?

Genuine question.

How many times is too many?

I've been stopped about 50 times in 30 years of driving - sometimes I knew exactly why (speeding, showing off, taking a roundabout too quick even though I was within the speed limit, illegal tints on an M5 I'd recently bought), sometimes I didn't (once was simply because the DLVA had my car down as the wrong colour - it wasn't 'wrong' just too dark to see properly at night).

Have I been pissed off for being stopped for 'no reason'? Yes!

Have I refused to get out of the car, mouthed off, shoved a camera in someone's face, and caused a scene at the side of the road? No!

I always wonder if it was just because I'm driving a 'fancy' car in a rough part of Liverpool at odd hours, or if it's because I'm white!

[Troubleatmill]

Given the car had illegally tinted windows....( so you can't see the people in the car )... how did our protagonist get to the point of "We were stopped because we are black!'


You were stopped because:
1/ Driving like a dick.
2/ Illegally tinted windows.

[wjb]

La Liga said:

wjb said:

La Liga said:

as that happened here or is that whataboutism?

I've been stopped well over 50 times mate.

So your own personal experience creating a hypothetical question that may have no relevance to the situation with Williams.

Sorry, the police are always right aren't they.

I'll leave you to it.