A bricklayer has spoken out after a police stop and search left him feeling “insulted, embarrassed, and vulnerable”.
Max De Freitas, 29, was helping a relative fit a new door in Weston, Hampshire, earlier this month when officers arrived and detained him. Despite having no criminal record, he was handcuffed and searched before being released without charge.
While police cited suspected drug-related activity in the area, Max believes he was stopped because of his skin colour.
“I don’t like to believe it, but I do think I was targeted,” he told reports.
Police Intervention ‘Felt Like an Insulting Joke’
Max and his father, Dean, have since filed an official complaint with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. They say this is not the first time they have been stopped but are determined to challenge what they see as unfair treatment.
On 12 February, at around 11:00 GMT, the pair were at their relative’s home while a council worker installed a new door. Max was sitting in his black Ford Fiesta when police approached.
“I thought they were here to protect us,” he said. “When I realised they were here for me, it almost felt like an insulting joke.”
Dean, who was standing nearby, said officers told him the vehicle had been linked to drug-related activity.
“The idea that there was drug dealing linked to us is preposterous, absolutely crazy,” he said.
Dean watched as his son was searched and handcuffed.
“They caused as much chaos as possible and left us in pieces,” he added. “This has got to stop, whether it’s for us or for others.”
Racial Profiling Concerns
Race and diversity consultant Don John believes the situation is worsening for black people in the UK, particularly in Southampton.
“The cold fact is that if you’re black in Southampton, you’re five times more likely to be stopped and searched than if you’re white,” he said.
“The problem is that being stopped and searched as a black person has become normalised, people don’t even complain anymore. They feel like it’s just something they have to put up with.”
While police forces provide complaint forms, Mr John believes these do little to bring about change.
“Even if they start a complaint, it’s buried in complexity and bureaucracy. It takes months, people get fed up, and the police know that,” he explained. “All it does is create greater resentment.”
Stop and Search Statistics
In Hampshire alone, officers carried out more than 6,500 stops and searches in the second half of 2024. Black people in the county are eight times more likely to be stopped than white people.
A spokesperson for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed that a man in his 20s had been stopped under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
“Nothing was located as a result of the searches and the man was not arrested,” the statement read.
“We have received a complaint following the stop and search, which our professional standards department is currently reviewing. As such, it would not be appropriate to comment further while this process is ongoing.”
