A Metropolitan Police officer who was fined for assault after wrongly arresting a woman for not paying a bus fare has had his conviction overturned.
PC Perry Lathwood, 50, of East Sussex, had been convicted of assaulting a woman in front of her young son in Croydon, south London, on 21 July last year.
Jocelyn Agyemang was dropping her son off at her mother’s house when the incident took place.
Police officers were helping ticket inspectors and after Ms Agyemang got off the bus, she was asked to show she had paid for her journey.
Ms Agyemang said she told the inspector to walk with her as she was in a hurry. Lathwood then walked over and grabbed her to stop her.
A video of the incident was widely shared on social media at the time.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “I recognise that this incident has divided opinions. The impact it had, particularly on black communities in Croydon and further afield, was significant.
“However, PC Lathwood has now been cleared by the criminal courts and that decision must be respected.
“We accept this incident was not handled perfectly and there is valuable learning to be taken from it. However we believe that could have been done through police misconduct mechanisms, not the courts.”
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Source Agencies
