Police in Liverpool have been charged with being “institutionally racist” after swooping on two unarmed black males.
They are seen being stopped by officers who are holding assault rifles squarely at them in video of the event in Toxteth.
According to Merseyside Police, they responded to calls of a guy carrying a gun at 9.15 p.m. on Monday.
The innocent couple was handcuffed and searched, but nothing was found, so they were let go with no further action.
However, detractors claim that this is a case of the police “profiling and making black guys the scapegoat.”
Kim Johnson, the first black member of parliament for Liverpool, remarked that when she first saw the video of the stop, she mistakenly believed she was in America.
The use of force teams and the handcuffing of two young black guys who had committed no crimes.
“You matched the description” was used by the police again again to intimidate and harass Black males for being Black; Merseyside police have traumatized and intimidated many young Black people.
“For this reason, I assert that they are institutionally racist, and this scapegoating and profiling must stop immediately.
“I wrote the Chief Constable to inquire what steps she is taking,” she responded.
Merseyside Police, meanwhile, has vehemently defended the actions of its officers and maintains that they acted legally.
The police claimed that after carefully examining body cams, they were sure that the stop and search were appropriate.
It was also mentioned that the two police officers had adhered to the proper training and protocols.
“Members of the public called us to report they had observed a man carrying a pistol,” said Superintendent Diane Pownall.
Armed response police were authorized and sent to the scene, as is customary in cases when there are allegations of people carrying firearms.
They observed two males in the vicinity, one of whom had the same build as the person described and was dressed similarly.
Again, the cops conducted an armed stop in accordance with their training and protocol.
Handcuffs were utilized during the search because it had been reported that a man had been spotted carrying a gun.
According to body worn video of the event, both of the guys cooperated as the officers explained to them why they had been stopped and why a search was necessary.
There was nothing discovered on either man, thus no further action was taken.
At the conclusion of the search, officers made sure the guys knew why it had been conducted.
They were also given instructions on how to file a complaint if necessary, although neither of the men made any indication that they intended to do so.
When there are complaints of persons carrying guns, the safety of the public is our primary priority, despite the fact that video of armed officers stopping guys on the street can appear rather scary.