Met Police officer denies calling black officers ‘cotton pickers’
Met Police officer denies calling black officers ‘cotton pickers’
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A Metropolitan Police officer could face dismissal from the force over an allegation that she called black officers “cotton pickers”. Pc Mia Korell, who is part of the Roads and Transport policing command, allegedly used the term to describe black officers who did not believe the Territorial Support Group (TSG) was a racist unit, a misconduct hearing was told.
Chloe Hill, a solicitor representing the Metropolitan Police, said the term, which Pc Korell denies using, is “grossly offensive and derogatory”. It is alleged Pc Korell, herself a black officer, used the language when she bumped into Inspector Alistair Phillips while they were both off duty in Guildford on October 7 2022.
The pair had a broader conversation before they began speaking about racism in policing, the misconduct panel heard. Giving evidence to the hearing in central London on Monday, Mr Phillips said: “We were having a pleasant conversation, we were both clearly very interested in race and the police.”.
He claims Pc Korell asked him if he believed the TSG, which both officers were part of at the time, was racist, to which he said no. “The conversation was fairly clear,” Mr Phillips told the panel. “I don’t think there was any misunderstanding. “I am 100% sure that was the exact phrase used.
