Police Five Times More Likely to Use Force Against Black People Than White People in England and Wales

London: A Home Office document said black people were “involved in proportionally more incidents” where police used guns and Tasers, as well as batons and ground restraint in the year to March. The statistics were released six months after national police leaders announced a “plan of action” to address racial inequalities. Concerns over use of force and the deaths of black people in police custody had been a focus of Black Lives Matter demonstrations over the summer. “Use-of-force tactics, ranging from handcuffing and ground restraint, to the use of batons, Tasers and firearms, involved people perceived as being from a black ethnic group at a rate five times higher than people perceived as being from a white ethnic group in English and Welsh police force areas, excluding the Metropolitan Police,” the report said.

The rate was almost three times higher for people perceived as being from an “other” ethnic group and lower for those perceived as being from an Asian ethnic group.” The report added: “People perceived as being from a black ethnic group were involved in proportionally more incidents involving the use of less lethal weapons (Tasers or baton rounds) and firearms.”

Read more: Lizzie Dearden, Indpendent, https://is.gd/5IupQQ