Who does Reece Richards play on Sex Education? Actor "pepper-sprayed" and kicked by police in front of his mother in allegedly "unlawful arrest"

Reece Richards accused The Metropolitan Police of racial profiling after being allegedly pepper sprayed, kicked, and handcuffed wrongfully in front of his mother. The incident reportedly occurred near his home in Fulham, West London, on September 4, 2024, while the actor returned home from his performance in Hairspray the Musical.

The actor claimed that he witnessed a car crash, and the police wrongfully mistook him for one of the perpetrators. In an official statement after the alleged incident, Richards said:

"On Wednesday, 4th September, between 12:38 am and 2:30 am, I was the victim of an unlawful arrest and police misconduct in Fulham, just yards away from my front door. I've heard stories about incidents like this, but I never imagined it would happen to me."

He added,

"They pepper-sprayed me, kicked my legs out from under me, threw me to the ground, and handcuffed me."

Reece Richards portrayed Eugene in the Netflix show Sex Education. The actor played Vivienne "Viv" Odusanya's long-distance boyfriend in season 3.

Not much is known about the character as viewers only see his relationship with Viv through their text messages, but Richards appeared in the final episode of the season. In season 4, it is revealed that Viv broke up with Eugene to focus on her studies.

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Reece Richards claimed four officers held him down

Reece Richards recounted the incident in a public statement. He said he was returning home after work when he saw a car crash. He alleged that three men (two white and one Asian) exited from the car and ran away.

Richards said he noticed the police were chasing after the men, so he let the cops know where they went. However, he alleged that the police mistook him for one of the suspects, claiming he was under arrest, and told him to get down on the ground.

Richards allegedly attempted to explain that he was not involved in the crash. However, the police refused to listen to him, allegedly threatening to pepper spray him if he didn't comply.

"Despite hearing me, the officer shouted that I was under arrest and demanded I get on the ground. I was confused, unable to understand why I was suddenly being treated like a criminal. Calmly, I explained that I was a performer returning from a show, but one officer yelled, 'Get to the floor or I'll pepper spray you,'" Reece Richards said in his statement.

Reece Richards added that four officers rushed at him and reportedly pepper sprayed him, then kicked and handcuffed him, which allegedly led to injuries in his back, ribs, and stomach. Richards said he could hear his mother nearby and asked her to call Brenda Edwards, a known TV personality and the director of Hairspray. After she arrived at the scene 20 minutes later, the police released Richards.

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Reece Richards asked The Met Police to investigate the incident

Reece Richards claimed the incident left him embarrassed, upset, and exhausted. He added that he had filed a complaint with the Met Police and IOPC, asking for accountability and raising awareness about the dangers of racial profiling.

According to the Mirror, a spokesperson for the Met Police also released a statement addressing the issue.

"A complaint has been received in relation to his arrest. This is currently being assessed by officers from the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), along with other material, including the officers' body-worn video footage. None of the officers involved are subject to restrictions at this time," the spokesperson said.

They added that Richards was an innocent bystander caught up in the situation and was "dearrested" as soon as the officers knew about this.

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Along with his role in Sex Education, Reece Richards is known for his performance as Kenneth in Netflix's psychological thriller You. He is also a theatre actor, professional dancer, and model.