London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

What to do if you witness police brutality – what legal experts say

What to do if you witness police brutality – what legal experts say

This week, the world reacted to the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, with unsettling videos depicting something which should be shocking but is far from an isolated incident: a black person suffering dangerously and ultimately – it would appear – lethal excessive force at the hands of non-black police officers. Why the citizens around did not arrested those criminal-police officers and save the life of their victim?

George Floyd joins the likes of Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner and many more – black victims persecuted by a system designed to protect, their lives turned into a hashtag symbolic of the worldwide grief and anger at a broken system.

The disproportionate statistics of black people being a victim of police brutality is not exclusive to America, however, so it’s important for people (of all colour) to know how to safely navigate the law and make a stand against unlawful or excessive violence.

Abimbola Johnson – criminal defence and professional regulatory barrister at 25 Bedford Row and a co-host and co-founder of The Manifesto Read Podcast – told us: ‘Too often when we speak about racism and look for tangible examples of police brutality, our attention is taken stateside, to the numerous and frightening accounts we see in the media of unarmed black people being gunned down by officers and non-black (overwhelmingly white) members of public with the law serving to protect the killer and not the deceased.

‘However, the time has arrived for us to consider the extent of the problems we have over here in the UK.’

That’s why we spoke with experts like Abimbola and Liam Walker, a barrister at Doughty Street, to find out what you can do if you see someone in law enforcement who appears to be acting unlawfully.


Can the police stop you from filming?

If you witness an interaction between the police and a civilian that strikes you as troubling, inappropriate or dangerous, there is no legal restriction preventing anyone from filming on public land.

Liam confirmed to Metro.co.uk that the only legal restrictions pertain to terror legislation.

Section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000 states police officers can stop you filming if they believe that the video will be used for purposes of terrorism. However, police guidelines state: ‘it would ordinarily be unlawful to use section 58A to arrest people photographing police officers in the course of normal policing activities’

Whether it’s a suspected act of excessive force or a possibly illegal stop and search, it is important to help and collect evidence, but there are still things to consider.

First, focus on the actions of the police as much as possible – you are collecting evidence, so it’s important not to try to get involved or interrupt too much.

Secondly, think about the victim, and their friends and family. Don’t be exploitative.


Can you get in trouble if you refuse to stop filming?

If you are filming what you believe to be an excessive use of force by a police officer, then you’re likely fine.

The Metropolitan Police’s guidelines (put into effect by all police forces in Britain) clearly state that ‘police have no power to stop them filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.’

The only time a police officer could try to arrest you is if your filming was obstructing the officer executing their duty.

Excessive force or an abuse of power is not in their duty, and is a crime, so you would have a legitimate defence.


What is excessive force?

This is where common sense must play a role.

The police are legally given the power to use progressive force based on the circumstances, which means that they can in fact use a large amount of force if the situation was a dangerous one.

This could be trickier to prove, but if you are filming, you have a better chance of showing that nobody was being violent or resisting arrest if that was the case.


Can you call the police on the police?

Though this might seem strange and counter-intuitive, excessive force is not in a police officer’s duty, so it is wise to have a 999 call on file recording the incident.


Should you share the video online?

Sharing videos of such acts can have a galvanising effect, as seen with George Floyd and others.

But you should consider what sharing this video could mean for others – many black people could find it triggering and distressing.

Consider, where possible, getting the video to the victim or their friends or family members. They could use it to get justice or decide to publish it themselves.

If this isn’t possible and you want to ensure justice is served, consider taking the video and filing a new police report, or seeking free legal advice from Citizens Advice on your available next steps.


Resources to help

Abimbola Johnson stressed the importance of people knowing their rights when it comes to targeted actions like Stop and Search, pointing to resources like Y Stop.

The aim of Y-Stop is to give you the tools to interact with the police safely, equipping you with all the skills and knowledge you need to handle a stop and search, know what to do if you witness a stop and search and how to work out if it’s legal.

She provided an extensive list of resources that people can engage with to better understand their rights when it comes to the law, how people can be better allies for those targeted unjustly and those concerned with racism in the legal system.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×