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The Metropolitan Police has been criticised for falsely suggesting a fatal attack on a chef in west London took place at Notting Hill Carnival.
Mussie Imnetu, 41, was found unconscious with a head injury outside the Dr Power restaurant in Queensway at about 11.22 pm on Monday and died in hospital on Friday afternoon.
Queensway lies outside of the Notting Hill Carnival catchment area and the attack took place hours after the event had concluded.
In a statement posted by the Met to X on Saturday, Commander Charmain Brenyah, a Black woman, stated that the incident that led to Mr Imnetu’s death had taken place at the carnival.
When approached by The Independent, the force rowed back on its previous statement and clarified that the attack had taken place outside of the carnival.
“The attack happened in the street just outside the footprint of carnival,” a spokesperson said.
“However, investigating officers understand both victim and the alleged suspect had attended the restaurant, which had carnival-related activities taking place.
“The investigation team understand the alleged suspect had also been to carnival earlier in the day.
“In any homicide investigation, a key part of enquiries is to understand why those involved were at the scene and how that had an impact on what took place.”
The Met has faced criticism over the statement, with Albie Amankona, the founder of Conservatives Against Racism For Equality (CARFE), a centre-right organisation dedicated to race-relations, accusing the force of spreading misinformation.
Mr Amankona said: “Why do the Met Police think they can get away with this and wheel out a Black officer to spread misinformation?
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mussie Imnetu did not die at the Notting Hill Carnival. He was attacked in a different part of London after the event had finished.”
In a separate incident, Cher Maximen, 32, was with her three-year-old daughter and other family and friends on Sunday, when she was stabbed in broad daylight while attending the carnival. She died in hospital on Saturday.
The deaths of Mr Imnetu and Ms Maximen have led some politicians and commentators to call for changes to make the event more secure or for its complete cancellation .
Labour MP Diane Abbott said depictions of the event as dangerous were “ridiculous”.
Writing in The Guardian, she said: “Overall there have been eight deaths connected with Notting Hill Carnival since 1987. Each has been a terrible tragedy. Quite correctly, all of these deaths have led to consideration of how carnival could be better managed and made safer. But they have also triggered calls from rightwing commentators for it to be closed down.
“This year has been no different. The descriptions of carnival by these commentators are enough to chill the blood. One talked of ‘guns, drugs, gang violence, vandalism, sexual assaults, half-naked people rutting in the street and stairwells’. If you had never been to carnival and read this stuff, you might well think it should be closed down.
“But I was there this year, as in many previous years, and I saw nothing of the kind. Over the days I attended this year’s event, my experience was of a fun, joyful carnival that brought together people of all ages and all communities.”
Omar Wilson, 31, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with causing Sweden-born Mr Imnetu grievous bodily harm with intent.
Police will review this charge following Mr Imnetu’s death on Friday. Wilson was remanded into custody and will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on September 27.
