Summary

On 3 October 2020, I was attacked by police officers who arrested me and sprayed CS gas directly into my eyes. I was only 19 years old at the time.

I believe that I was racially discriminated against because I am a black male. I had done nothing wrong and I was simply a witness to an incident with the police. I feel like I was treated this way because of my race.

I am bringing a civil claim against Essex Police for racial discrimination, false imprisonment, assault and battery and breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998. I am hoping to receive compensation and that my case drives a change within Essex Police to prevent discriminatory and heavy-handed policing in the future.

My case

On 3 October 2020, I was walking down the road with my girlfriend. As we were walking, I saw a car being pursued by a police car. The driver of the vehicle was a white male, and the passenger was a woman. The male driver and the female passenger then attempted to flee from the police on foot. The white male was arrested.

As I was standing watching these events, I was approached by police officers. I was immediately grabbed and dragged to the ground. Officers held down my head, neck and legs, and pinned me on the floor. None of the officers were wearing Personal Protective Equipment, despite the Covid-19 restrictions in place at the relevant time.

The officers handcuffed me and an officer sprayed CS gas directly into my eyes from close distance. I can’t quite put into words just how painful this was and how scared I felt. I was screaming and crying out in unbearable pain. I couldn’t open my eyes. I felt so helpless, and I was scared for my life. I felt belittled and violated. I honestly believed in this moment that I could die.

This took place in public in front of a number of witnesses, which I felt really embarrassed and humiliated about at the time.

I kept telling the police that they had the wrong person.

The police eventually let me go after deciding that I hadn’t been connected to the police pursuit.

An ambulance was called to the scene and I was seen to by paramedics. They took me to hospital so I could be treated for my injuries.

After this incident Essex Police made a voluntary referral to the Police Watchdog, the IOPC. They have also sought to offer their apologies for this case of “mistaken identity.”

Here is a link to the article about my case in the Metro: https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/05/kaana-grace-black-boyfriend-arrested-by-police-hunting-white-suspects-13372805/

I believe that Essex Police identified me as a suspect because I am black, and that racial discrimination played a significant role in the force they used on me and the way they restrained me.

What I need

I am now seeking justice and I have launched a civil claim against Essex Police. I need your support to continue my case.

The next stage of my case is issuing my claim at court. There is a court fee which I need to pay in order to start my claim at court.

I also need to pay for medico-legal experts in respect of my injuries.

Any donations you are able to make will be crucial to my ability to bring this case. You can also help by sharing this page and asking other people to donate.

What happens if I win? 

If I win my case, I am hoping to receive a meaningful apology from Essex Police and compensation. I hope that this in turn drives a change within Essex Police so something like this doesn’t happen to anyone in future. We should be able to rely on our police to protect us, rather than fear their presence.

In the event that my claim is ultimately successful, and all my solicitor’s costs are recovered, then any CrowdJustice funds left over will be donated to a StopWatch campaign.

How much money are we raising and why? 

I have instructed Emily-Jade Defriend, a specialist Actions Against the Police lawyer and Associate at Bindmans Solicitors, to fight my case.

We are raising funds of over £5,500 to cover the costs of experts and Court fees so I can get the justice I deserve. Our first step is to hit my initial target of £1,500.

What is the next step in the case? 

The next step in my case is to issue the claim at court. In order to do this, I will need to pay a court fee.

Once the case has been issued, my legal team will need to instruct a barrister and prepare a document called the ‘Particulars of Claim’, which sets out my case in more detail. This is sent to the police and the court.