Labour MP Dawn Butler has accused the police of being ‘institutionally racist’ after she was stopped while driving to Sunday lunch with a friend.
The former shadow equalities minister, a strong critic of police stop-and-search tactics, said the car was being driven by her male friend, who like Butler is black, when two police cars pulled it over in east London. Officers said the vehicle was registered in North Yorkshire. After taking the car keys and checking the registration, the officers admitted there had been a mistake and apologised, Butler told the Guardian.
The Metropolitan police later said in a statement that an officer had initially entered the registration number wrongly into a computer system, and that neither the MP nor her friend were searched.
Full story: Labour MP Dawn Butler stopped by police in London
In This Story: London
London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom.
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In This Story: Police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and the use of force legitimized by the state via the monopoly on violence.
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In This Story: Yorkshire
Yorkshire – often referred to by inhabitants as “God’s own country” – is a historic county in northern England. It’s known for its Roman and Viking heritage, as well as its Norman castles, medieval abbeys, Industrial Revolution-era cities and 2 national parks. The county town of York, founded by the Romans, is home to 13th-century cathedral York Minster, Tudor houses and medieval walls. The interactive Jorvik Viking Centre recalls the area’s 9th-century Norse occupation.