The two innocent athletes, stopped, handcuffed and searched by officers in London have said they may boycott the investigation into their case because it fails to treat their racism allegations seriously enough. Bianca Williams and Ricardo dos Santos believe Metropolitan police officers racially profiled them when they decided to stop the car they were in and search them while their three-month-old baby son was in the vehicle. The Independent Office for Police Conduct on Thursday announced that five officers were under investigation for potential misconduct, but were not subject to a much more serious gross misconduct investigation. Williams, a gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games, and her partner, Dos Santos, a Portuguese sprinter, were stopped in Maida Vale, north-west London, while traveling in a Mercedes on 4 July. Dos Santos said police claimed they smelled cannabis. The couple were found to have committed no offence. The IOPC announced the investigation covers claims that officers breached police standards of professional behaviour relating to use of force, duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy. The investigation into misconduct allegations will also examine whether the couple “were treated less favourably because of their race”. In a statement, Dos Santos said: “This investigation has been derailed. After three months we are finally told by the IOPC that the officers are being investigated for lack of courtesy. “Polite racism is still racism. The IOPC have let the Met off the hook…. “The officer who dragged me out of the car with a raised baton and handcuffed me, who detained me under section 23 [of the] Misuse of Drugs Act and recorded falsely on my stop and search form that I smelt of cannabis is being investigated for politeness. “How is racism ever going to be tackled in police forces if the police watchdog classify it as a ‘respect and courtesy’ issue rather than an ‘honesty and integrity’ issue. Neither the police or the IOPC seem to take discrimination issues seriously.” The Met initially did not believe the officers involved had done anything that could amount to misconduct nor does Britain’s biggest force accept that racial profiling was a factor. The couple were handcuffed while their baby son was in the car in an incident that generated controversy over police conduct and allegations of racial profiling, which the Met denies. It was one of a series of videos surfacing on social media that raised concerns about police tactics and policies. Williams said hopes of change following mass Black Lives Matter protests this summer now seem to be dashed: “It feels now like that moment has passed and it is business as usual. It was really traumatic for my family being dragged out of the car, handcuffed and separated from our baby. We had hoped that our complaints would have been taken seriously by the police and the IOPC, but now we are having to make a decision about whether we should continue to participate in such a clearly flawed process.” Their solicitor, Jules Carey, said even staff in the police watchdog were angered by the investigation being watered down: “The IOPC notified us by email on 11 September 2020 that the lead investigator at the IOPC stepped down from this investigation because she did not agree with how the regional director was formally classifying the seriousness of the case. “My client’s concerns about whether the IOPC is fit for purpose are clearly also shared by staff in the IOPC. My clients will be reflecting on whether to invest any further time or effort into this investigation.” An IOPC spokesperson said: “As in any situation where decisions are finely balanced, there can be differing views, but our decisions on whether or not officers are investigated for misconduct and at what level, are based solely on the evidence and are supported by both specialist and legal advice. “Those decisions are subject to review as an investigation develops and more evidence is gathered – whether or not Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos were treated less favourably because of their race remains an active part of our ongoing investigation. We have previously offered to meet with them to explain our decision-making.” Both the IOPC and Met said that the serving of notices does not necessarily mean misconduct proceedings against any officers will follow.