Actor claims Met police pepper-sprayed him after returning home from a show

The Metropolitan Police has announced that they are looking into a situation where an actor alleged that he was sprayed with pepper spray by police during what he described as an "illegal arrest."

Reece Richards, known for his role in the Netflix show Sex Education, reported that he was knocked down during a police pursuit in Fulham, located in south-west London, on September 4th.

The actor had just finished performing in the musical Hairspray that evening, and he mentioned that the event took place just a short distance from his home.

In an Instagram update, Richards shared, “I had just wrapped up my performance in Hairspray the Musical when an accident occurred close to me.”

He mentioned that two guys leaped out of the car, so he directed the police on the way they ran off. The officer then yelled at Richards, telling him he was under arrest and instructed him to lie down on the ground, as reported by the actor.

Brenda Edwards, a star from Loose Women and the director of Hairspray the Musical, has claimed that Richards experienced racial profiling and was harmed.

Richards expressed his feelings of bewilderment, sharing his surprise at being treated like a criminal without any clear reason.

I spoke calmly, letting them know that I was a performer coming back from a gig. But one of the officers shouted, ‘Get on the ground or I’ll spray you with pepper spray!’

A short while later, three additional officers charged towards me. They sprayed me with pepper spray, knocked my legs from beneath me, slammed me to the ground, and put me in handcuffs.

In an instant, I found myself lying face-first on the pavement, with several officers pressing me down and forcing my head into the ground.

"I was already hurt from the performance, but when four officers piled on top of me, it made my back, ribs, and stomach injuries even worse."

He mentioned, "I couldn't see anything, but I could hear my mom close by, screaming and crying, pleading with them to release me."

The Metropolitan Police reported that officers were chasing a car they suspected was stolen and had fake license plates before the event occurred. They also mentioned that prior to Richards being released on Fulham Palace Road, a Taser was aimed at him but wasn’t used.

Richards mentioned that he had submitted official complaints to the Metropolitan Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).