'They clearly put us in danger regardless of the reasons that led to doing this'
Tiemoue Bakayoko has spoken out on being the victim of mistaken identity after being stopped at gunpoint by police in Italy.
Footage posted on Twitter showed Bakayoko being
stopped and held at gunpoint by police in Italy, in an incident which proved to be a case of mistaken identity.
The French footballer - on loan at AC Milan from Chelsea - was reportedly pulled over by police on July 3 while driving through central Milan. After being ordered to get out of his vehicle, he was then pushed against a police car and searched.
At least two officers can be seen holding guns in footage of the incident shared on social media, before the officer seen searching Bakayoko is informed by a colleague that it is not the suspect but, in actual fact, Milan midfielder Bakayoko.
The officer immediately stopped his search and allowed the 27-year-old to return to his car.
https://twitter.com/tancredipalmeri/status/1548928848439508992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1548928848439508992%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fbakayoko-police-348925
Bakayoko speaks about the incident
The Frenchman has since spoken out about the incident and claimed that he and the other passenger in his car were placed "in danger" by the actions of the police. However, he added that he was not angered by the error itself but by the "methodology" used by the officers in the incident.
He explained: "The problem is not the error but the methodology used. I found the weapon within a metre of me and the passenger. They clearly put us in danger regardless of the reasons that led to doing this."
Police release statement
The police released a statement following the incident, explaining that Bakayoko was searched following a shooting which had taken place earlier in the day.
https://twitter.com/tancredipalmeri/status/1548958005240135681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1548958005240135681%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fbakayoko-police-348925
A statement read: "It should be noted that the search occurred in an operational context that justified the adoption of the highest security measures.
"Also as a function of self-protection, and [it] was carried out in a manner absolutely consistent with the type of alarm in progress. Once the person had been identified and [it had been] established that he was not involved, the service was resumed without any kind of remark from the person concerned."
Bakayoko joined Chelsea in 2017 in a £40million deal from Monaco, making 43 first-team appearances in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
However, the midfielder has not featured for the Blues in a competitive match in the four years since, being loaned out multiple times. He is currently halfway through a two-season loan deal at Milan.
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