Man arrested then released after Huntingdon train stabbing claims racial bias in police actions
Complaint lodged with police after station incident
A man who was arrested and later released following a mass stabbing on a train has made a formal complaint to the police, alleging racial bias influenced officers' actions.
Two men, a 32-year-old black British national and a 35-year-old British national of Caribbean descent, were arrested at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after the train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross was stopped on November 1st last year.
Anthony Williams, 32, was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder over the incident and is set to face trial in October.
The 35-year-old man, who has not been named, was released with no further action after officers determined he was not involved.
This man has filed a complaint concerning his arrest, alleging improper use of force by officers, his detention, and racial bias.
Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that the complaint was investigated by their Professional Standards Department.
A spokesperson stated, “The conclusion of this was that the service received was acceptable in line with policy and procedure.”
The complainant has now appealed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who have taken a review request from him following dissatisfaction with how his complaint was handled.
The IOPC explained during a Wednesday statement: “When carrying out a review, our casework team decide whether the force’s handling of the complaint or its outcome were reasonable and proportionate.
“We cannot reinvestigate the complaint. The parties involved will be notified of the outcome of our review.”
British Transport Police, who had initially overseen the questioning of the two men at separate police stations, has been approached for comment on the matter.
Recently, the provisional trial date for Williams at Cambridge Crown Court was rescheduled from June to October, with further reports awaited.