An Instagram influencer has told of how her black boyfriend was mistakenly arrested by police in pursuit of a stolen vehicle in Loughton.

Fashion blogger Kaana Grace, who has more than 60,000 followers on Instagram, shared a post detailing the ‘shocking and upsetting’ blunder made of officers on Saturday afternoon (October 3).

In footage uploaded to Ms Grace’s Instagram page, officers can be seen restraining her boyfriend as he screams in pain.

Essex Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the arrest and the officers conduct, including the use of an incapacitant spray.

Ms Grace and her boyfriend had just left her house, at about 1.40pm, to go to the shops, according to testimony on the blogger’s social media.

In a post which has been viewed almost 400,00 times, she said: “We saw a black stolen car speeding down Loughton High Road with police car/vans chasing the vehicle. It could’ve killed people. It was serving busy traffic and even I had to run across the road as they nearly drove over me and my boyfriend on the pavement.

“All of a sudden two police cars had unexpectedly pulled up and they hopped out and grabbed me and my boyfriend and spraying [sic] us with pepper spray and arrested us without telling us why.”

Ms Grace added: “We are so ashamed and upset we had to go through this.”

Essex Police say her boyfriend was arrested by police because his clothing matched the description of that worn by the driver they were chasing.

The force says the driver, who was in a suspected cloned car, had moments earlier had run off from the vehicle, having failed to stop for police.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “Based on this description of his clothing officers asked to speak to the man. He pulled away from officers despite being asked to stand still and remain calm. The officers suspected he was seeking to escape so he was physically restrained.

“It was quickly established the man was in fact not connected to the suspected cloned vehicle and he was allowed to go on his way shortly afterwards.

“At the same time and in the immediate vicinity, another set of officers detained a second man whose clothing matched the same description. He was arrested, interviewed and released under investigation.”

Assistant chief constable Andy Prophet said: “We were searching for someone who had run from a suspicious car after failing to stop for police. At that stage, our officers had a description of his clothing, but not of the man himself. They initially detained the wrong person and we’re taking steps to get in touch with him to offer our apologies for this case of mistaken identity.”

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