Police apologise to AC Milan midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko after racial profiling

FILE - AC Milan's French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko controls the ball during an Italian Serie A football match. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

FILE - AC Milan's French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko controls the ball during an Italian Serie A football match. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

Published Jul 18, 2022

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Milan — AC Milan say police have apologised to Tiemoue Bakayoko after they stopped and searched him while looking for a shooting suspect.

The incident occurred on July 3, but a video of the stop has gone viral recently.

In the video, Bakayoko, who is black, can be seen being searched by a policeman while officers are pointing a gun at a car.

Following a conversation with the officers, the French international was released.

"The player was stopped but as soon as the police verified that he had nothing to do with what happened, they apologised and let him go," AC Milan said on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the club said the search occurred due to a shooting in the nearby area at that time, with police issuing a statement to Reuters to explain their actions.

"It should be noted that the search occurred in an operational context that justified the adoption of the highest security measures," the statement read.

"Also as a function of self-protection, and was carried out in a manner absolutely consistent with the type of alarm in progress.

"Once the person had been identified and established that he was not involved, the service was resumed without any kind of remark from the person concerned."

Bakayoko joined Milan on a two-year loan from Chelsea last summer, making 18 appearances for the Rossoneri last year. The Frenchman signed for Chelsea from Monaco in 2017 for £40m and made 43 appearances for the club in his first season.

Reuters