Chelsea player acquitted of racial harassment charges against police officer

Chelsea forward Sam Kerr has been cleared of racially harassing a police officer following an incident in January 2023. The 31-year-old Australian international had been accused of calling an officer “fucking stupid and white” during a confrontation at a police station.

The incident occurred after Kerr and her partner, fellow footballer Kristie Mewis, were involved in a dispute with a taxi driver. One of the women had been sick in the cab and the other broke a window. When they refused to pay a cleaning fee, the driver took them to Twickenham police station.

At the station, Kerr was alleged to have become abusive towards PC Stephen Lovell. Video footage showed her saying “Honestly, you guys are fucking stupid and white.” However, Kerr denied using race as an insult and claimed she felt she was being treated differently “because of the color of my skin.”

Testifying in court, Kerr said she was trying to express that the officers’ “power and privilege” meant they could not understand the fear she and Mewis had experienced. She described feeling terrified during a 15-20 minute taxi ride where she claims the driver was “driving dangerously.”

After deliberating for a day, the jury at Kingston Crown Court found Kerr not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment. The striker, who is currently sidelined with an ACL injury, gave a thumbs up to her lawyer as the verdict was delivered.

Kerr has been a key player for Chelsea since joining in 2019, scoring 99 goals in 128 appearances. She is also Australia’s all-time leading goalscorer with 64 goals in 125 international matches.