An actor has been allegedly pepper-sprayed and kicked to the ground by police officers in front of his crying mother.
Reece Richards, who played Eugene on the hit Netflix show Sex Education, says he was the ‘victim of an unlawful arrest and police misconduct’ in Fulham, West London, on September 4.
He claims he was wrongly arrested after witnessing a car crash in the early hours of the morning while he was returning home from performing in Hairspray the Musical in the West End.
Mr Richards alleged that he saw two men flee the car crash that happened ‘just yards’ away from his home.
He says he was placed under arrest after telling officers the direction of where one of the men was fleeing.
The actor appeared to be told to “stay where you are” by an officer threatening him with pepper spray, in a video shared on Instagram.
He added that he was then “kicked” and “handcuffed” with the footage showing the officers on top of him.
In a statement posted alongside the video, Mr Richards wrote: ‘They pepper-sprayed me, kicked my legs out from under me, threw me to the ground, and handcuffed me.
‘In a flash, I was face-down on the pavement with multiple officers holding me down, forcing my head into the ground.
‘I was already injured from the show, but having four officers on top of me worsened my injuries to my back, ribs, and stomach.
‘I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear my mum nearby, screaming and crying, begging them to let me go.’
The Met Police has been contacted by the .