Sex Education actor Reece Richards has warned fans to ‘stay safe’ and revealed he is ‘still in shock’ after he claimed he was sprayed with an incapacitating liquid by police in an ‘unlawful arrest’.
Richards thanked fans for their support in an Instagram post today, after he claimed in a previous video he was thrown to the ground and kicked by officers in Fulham, west London, earlier this month after being mistaken for a suspect, and claimed he ‘didn’t fit the description of the suspects’.
The actor, who played Eugene in the hit Netflix series, went on to say he was ‘still trying to figure this out’ and added he ‘wasn’t expecting this much support’.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), said it received a complaint from the West End star on Thursday and will ‘decide if any further action is required from us’ after Richards said he was only stopped because he was black.
He said in a post on his Instagram story: ‘I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the support, and the outpour of love that everyone has shown.
Mr Richards was pepper sprayed and had his legs kicked from under him by police during an ‘unlawful arrest’
Mr Richards, who played Eugene on the hit Netflix show Sex Education (pictured above), accused the Met Police of ‘racial profiling’
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
‘Sorry I haven’t said anything or got back to anyone, I’m still trying to figure this out, it’s just weird.
‘I guess I’m still in shock and I don’t know how to navigate the situation, but first and foremost I just wanted to say thank you to everyone.
‘I wasn’t expecting this much support, I’m just in shock about the whole thing.
‘My mind is a little bit scattered but just thank you and stay safe.’
The actor said the incident happened ‘just yards from my front door’ after he had finished performing in a production of Hairspray The Musical.
Loose Women star Brenda Edwards, who is the director of the show, alleged he was ‘racially profiled and violated’ in an Instagram post.
In an earlier Instagram post, Richards said: ‘I had just finished performing in Hairspray The Musical when a car crashed near me.’
The star explained that two men jumped out of the vehicle so he pointed out to the police the direction in which they had fled.
The actor appeared to be told to ‘stay where you are’ by an officer threatening him with pepper spray in in footage captured nearby and later posted to Instagram
The actor, who played Eugene in the hit Netflix series, went on to say he was ‘still trying to figure this out’ and added he ‘wasn’t expecting this much support’
The officer then shouted to Richards that he was under arrest and ‘demanded’ he get to the ground, according to the actor.
‘I was confused, unable to understand why I was suddenly being treated like a criminal,’ he said.
‘Calmly, I explained that I was a performer returning from a show, but one officer yelled, ‘Get to the floor or I’ll pepper spray you.’
‘Moments later, three more officers ran at me. 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.’
‘After reviewing bodycam footage, they (the police officers) agreed to release me,’ he said.
The arrest took place on September 4 between 12.38am and 2.30am, according to Richards.
Loose Women star Brenda Edwards, who is the director of the show, alleged he was ‘racially profiled and violated’ in an Instagram post
The actor says he was placed under arrest after telling officers which way the men involved in the crash ran off
A video, shared by Richards and Edwards, appears to show a number of police officers holding an individual to the floor.
Guidance from the police watchdog says that police forces must refer serious incidents whether or not someone has made a complaint.
The police can also refer incidents to watchdog if they have concerns about the conduct of their officers or staff.
When the watchdog receives a referral, it then assess whether an investigation is deemed necessary.
Mr Richards said in a statement that he has lodged formal complaints with both the IOPC and the Met Police.
The Met Police confirmed it had received a complaint over the arrest which was being investigated by its Professional Standards department. However, the force said no officers have been suspended or taken off duty over the incident.
A former drama teacher of Mr Richards who lives on the same street as him said she was woken up by the incident and rushed down to see what was happening.
Acting coach Ms Hass, who is a former drama teacher of Mr Richards and lives on the same street as him, said she was woken up by the noise of the incident and ran down.
The official Hairspray UK Tour has said it stands in ‘full support and solidarity’ with Reece Richards
She described the incident as ‘incredibly distressing’ and said that Mr Richards was not offering any resistance to the officers.
Ms Hass told LBC: ‘Three of them were holding him down on the ground. This went on for a very long time. He’d been pepper sprayed. He couldn’t see anything.
‘He was incredibly distressed because he was blinded. His mother was trying to intervene, trying to talk to them.
‘I was trying to talk to them, saying he’s a student of mine. I know him.’
The Hairspray tour has released a statement ‘strongly condemning racism’ following the incident involving one of their actors.
A statement from the official Hairspray UK Tour said: ‘We stand in full support and solidarity with Reece Richards, a valued member of our cast who was wrongfully targeted by the Met Police whilst making his way home after a performance of Hairspray The Musical.
‘We strongly condemn any form of racism and discrimination.
‘We are in close contact with Reece and are offering him our full support during this difficult time.’
Describing the incident, Mr Richards said: ‘That feeling of helplessness will never leave me’
While under arrest the actor asked his mother, who was with him at the time, to call family friend Ms Edwards, the director of Hairspray and well-known TV host.
He claimed that after Ms Edwards arrived at the scene around 20 minutes later the officers’ attitude shifted ‘immediately’.
Posting to social media, Ms Edwards said: ‘Reece Richards who is currently playing one of the leads in my production and has never been in trouble with the law, was racially profiled and violated, just after getting back to London from me watching him and the fabulous cast in Milton Keynes.
‘He told the police that he had just performed in Milton Keynes so it couldn’t be him and the fact he had a massive suitcase with him and the cast on FaceTime was totally ignored.
‘This was such a distressing experience to witness. Conversations sadly still need to be had.’
The Met Police said the driver, aged 15 was arrested at the scene for failing to stop, dangerous driving and burglary. It added that two passengers, aged 20 and 21, had run off but were located nearby.
They were both was arrested on suspicion of theft of motor vehicle, while the 20-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a pointed or bladed article.
As a precaution, the pair were taken to hospital where their injuries were assessed as not being life-threatening or life-changing.
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.’