Ghanaian singer, Fuse ODG has opened up about his distressing experience after being arrested and harassed by the Metropolitan Police, who claimed to have smelled cannabis in his car a few days ago.
According to Fuse ODG, he believes he was racially profiled by the four officers in Brixton.
The incident involving Fuse ODG gained significant attention on May 19, 2023, when he shared a video showing him being forcefully handcuffed and dragged out of his car by UK police in Brixton. The officers alleged they could smell cannabis emanating from his vehicle.
In the video, the officers stopped Fuse ODG’s car, forming a circle around it, and stated their intention to search the vehicle for illegal drugs based on their claim of detecting the scent of cannabis.
Despite Fuse ODG’s request to see a search warrant, the officers disregarded his plea and forcibly detained him in handcuffs. They then compelled him to board a bus, where he sought clarification regarding the unjust treatment he had endured.
“It’s wild that this is the normal reality for too many of us growing up in this country. But even wilder is that this is still the reality in a post-George Floyd world,” Fuse ODG expressed, as quoted by the BBC.
“In the past months, we have seen so many videos of police officers beating up and even kneeling on our black children in the UK. I know because a lot of the time they come to me for help.
“The sad reality is that as a black man living in this system, it doesn’t matter how much money you make or the positive impact that you have on the world, they still only see you as one thing.”
In response to the incident, Fuse ODG released a song titled IC3. The official music video of the four-minute song features the UK-based Ghanaian musician and other black individuals singing about the incident while highlighting IC3, which is a “British Police code for identifying a black person.”
Additionally, Fuse ODG has filed a formal complaint against the police and is awaiting the results of the investigation into the incident.
