British rapper Wretch 32 says there has been “no progression” in the fight against police brutality in the UK, after sharing a video of his father being Tasered by officers at his home in north London.
The 35-year-old artist – real name Jermaine Scott Sinclair – called for justice as he posted the 36-second clip on his social media channels Tuesday evening.
The accompanying caption read: “This is how the police think they can treat a 62 year old black man in Tottenham but this 1 happens to be my dad #Nojusticenopeace”.
The police body-cam footage starts with officers entering through the front door of a house as a woman tells them: “I’m not resisting, don’t touch me, social distancing, please don’t touch me.”
An officer is heard warning: “Police officer with a Taser. Stay where you are.”
A man is then seen tumbling down the stairs.
As officers ask if he is OK and tell him to keep still, a woman can be heard yelling: “They’ve Tasered him.”
Appearing on ITV News at 10 alongside his father, Millard Scott, Wretch 32 said the incident, which took place on April 21, was proof that black men still need to be wary of the police.
“I’ve grown up in a household with my dad and uncle and I’ve watched them fight against police brutality my whole life,” he told the UK broadcaster and CNN affiliate.
“I’m 35 now and we’re still here again today and I now have to have the same conversations that my dad and my uncle and my grandparents and parents had with me when I was a child. That means there’s no progression.”
Scott said he believed police would have treated him differently if he were white and that he was “lucky to be alive”.
“It seems to me at this moment in time we (black people) are being singled out and targeted,” he added.
The Metropolitan Police have disputed Scott’s version of events, saying on Twitter that a review had found “no indication of misconduct.”
In a statement, the police department said officers entered the property “as part of a long running operation to tackle drugs supply.”
“As officers entered the premises, a man came downstairs and started moving towards an officer suddenly,” it read.
“He was ordered to remain where he was but continued towards officers who, after several warnings, deployed a Taser.
“The man was not arrested, but was assessed by the London Ambulance Service at the scene. He did not require further medical treatment.
“Officers from the North Area Command Unit have liaised with the family to discuss any concerns they have about the incident.”
It said a 22-year-old man found inside the house was arrested and charged with encouraging another to commit an offense. Officers also arrested a 52-year-old woman at the scene on suspicion of obstructing/resisting a police constable in the execution of duties.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called for an investigation into the incident by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“It’s absolutely vital that our police service retains the trust of the communities it serves,” he said in a post on Twitter.
News of the incident comes amid global Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd in the United States after a white officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
