A fundraiser has collected more than £50,000 in support of two Metropolitan Police constables who were dismissed after conducting a stop and search of two athletes in west London.
British sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo dos Santos claimed they were racially profiled during the search outside their residence.
A disciplinary panel concluded that the actions of Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks amounted to gross misconduct.
The funds are intended to assist the officers.
The fundraiser's organizer, identified as "UK," established a £50,000 target.
In July 2020, police trailed the athletes as they drove to their Maida Vale home after training with their three-month-old baby in the rear seat of their Mercedes.
The couple was handcuffed and searched under suspicion of possessing drugs and weapons, but no contraband was discovered.
During the disciplinary hearing, the panel was informed that the officers followed Mr. dos Santos due to the "appalling" and "suspicious" manner of his driving.
The hearing determined that PC Clapham and PC Franks had fabricated claims of detecting cannabis odor in Mr. dos Santos' vehicle, thus violating professional standards of police conduct in terms of honesty and integrity.
Allegations against three other officers were not substantiated.
The online crowdfunding page indicates that both officers who were terminated "will be affected by mortgage payments, food bills, and general cost of living." Comments on the site denounce their dismissal as "scandalous appeasement and scapegoating" and "an utter disgrace."
Author Alice Vinten, a former officer, criticized the donations on social media, saying the officers had been "dismissed for lying about smelling cannabis during a stop and search on a black couple and their baby. Is this what we do now? Raise money for lying cops?"
Earlier this year, Ms. Williams secured a bronze medal in the 4x100m event at the World Athletics Championships, while Mr. dos Santos competed in the 400m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Following the ruling, Ms. Williams informed the BBC: "It shouldn't have taken three years to get to this result, but I am pleased that this is the outcome, and this represents a significant step in the right direction for individuals who continue to be subjected to police stops and hear the same old excuse regarding the scent of cannabis when no contraband is discovered." Photo by Callum Darragh, Wikimedia commons.