A Black man, who has been campaigning against Dorset police since being sprayed with CS gas in his own car, and whose story was reported by IRR News in March, says he has been victimised again by police.

Femi Ijebuode spent last night camped out in the lobby of Bournemouth police station in protest against the latest incident, which took place on Sunday 13 August 2006. He says that two officers arrested him in his home and took him into custody, where he was allegedly subjected to a humiliating intimate search. ‘Four of them spread my legs and buttocks apart’, says Femi, ‘but a few hours later, I was released without charge or even a formal interview.’

Dorset police are currently under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission for an earlier incident in April 2005, in which CS spray was deployed against Femi after he was stopped in his car. Following the incident, which was captured on video, the police charged Femi with resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. After these charges were thrown out by Poole magistrates on 10 March, the disturbing video footage of the incident was broadcast on Channel 4 News.

Femi believes that it is now clear that he is ‘being targeted by Dorset Police’ and yesterday decided that he would protest against his treatment by camping out through the night in the lobby of Bournemouth police station. This morning he has returned home after police officers met with him and agreed to investigate the matter.

Related links

Crime: driving while Black – IRR News story