This is the moment a Netflix star claims he was pepper-sprayed and wrongly detained in front of his mother in west London.
Reece Richards, who played Eugene on the hit show Sex Education, has accused the Met of “racial profiling” and claimed he was the “victim of an unlawful arrest” in Fulham on September 4.
Dramatic footage shows the incident unfolding after he witnessed a car crash in the early hours of the morning while returning home from a performance in Hairspray the Musical in the West End.
Mr Richards said he saw three men running away from the crash scene.
He tried to alert the officers but they mistook him as one of the suspects and he was arrested.
The officers de-arrested him when they established he was just an innocent bystander.
The Met Police confirmed it had received a complaint over the arrest which was being investigated by its Professional Standards department.
However, no officers have been suspended or taken off duty over the incident.
The actor said he was told to stay still by an officer threatening him with pepper spray in footage captured nearby.
He added that he was then 'kicked' and 'handcuffed' with the footage, posted on instagram, showing the officers on top of him.
In a statement posted alongside the video, Mr Richards wrote: “They pepper-sprayed me, kicked my legs out from under me, threw me to the ground, and handcuffed me.
“In a flash, I was face-down on the pavement with multiple officers holding me down, forcing my head into the ground.
“I was already injured from the show, but having four officers on top of me worsened my injuries to my back, ribs, and stomach.
“I couldn't see anything, but I could hear my mum nearby, screaming and crying, begging them to let me go.”
His mother phoned family friend Brenda Edwards, also the director of Hairspray and a TV host.
Mr Richards added: “That feeling of helplessness will never leave me.
“I've been stopped and searched before, but never have I been arrested or treated like this...
“The whole experience was embarrassing, deeply upsetting, and exhausting.
“It has left me questioning everything I thought I knew about justice. Suddenly, my understanding of right and wrong feels completely upended.”
A spokesperson for the Met Police told MailOnline: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media of a man being detained in the Fulham area.
“Officers often find themselves in dynamic, challenging situations and have to make split-second judgements on which course of action to take.
“Officers had been pursuing three men who had run out of a car that had crashed in Fulham Palace Road after it failed to stop for police.
“It is clear the man shown in the footage was an innocent bystander and he was dearrested as soon as this was established by officers at the scene.
“All officers know any use of force must be proportionate and reasonable and they understand their actions will be scrutinised.
“A complaint has been received in relation to his arrest.
“This is currently being assessed by officers from the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), along with other material including the officers’ body worn video footage.
“None of the officers involved are subject to restrictions at this time.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been contacted by the Standard.
