Everton star not willing to forgive police for jewellery shop mix-up

A statement on the Everton club website, Thursday March 12:

“We would now expect [Victor Anichebe] to receive a full and unreserved apology from the police - and then both he and the club would then consider the matter closed.”

A statement on the Everton club website, a bit later on Thursday March 12, after the police issue the apology Anichebe requested:

“Whilst I do fully understand Cheshire Police’s desire to tackle the problem of robberies on jewellery shops in the Knutsford area, I remain deeply upset and very angry about the treatment which was meted out to myself and a friend yesterday (Wednesday).”

We can’t figure out what is more shocking - Anichebe’s reticence to forgive the police despite receiving the apology he desired, or the fact that a footballer used the word “meted” in a statement. Did you swallow a dictionary, Victor?

Police swoop on Victor Anichebe while he browses in shop window

While deciding how to dispose of his generous income at the window of a posh jewellery shop in Knutsford, Cheshire yesterday, Everton star Victor Anichebe was deemed to be “acting suspiciously” by Police. Rather than risk letting the wealthy footballer make a purchase, the fuzz decided the best course of action was to slap him in some handcuffs.

The Sun says:

Officers leapt from a car, surrounded the Nigerian-born Everton ace and handcuffed a pal he was with.

An astonished witness told yesterday how the shaken star - on CRUTCHES after being crocked for the season - was grilled by up to five cops in front of afternoon shoppers.

He kept protesting: “I’m a footballer - I play for Everton. Why would I want to rob a shop?”

The Sun continue by quoting Sean Reynolds, a witness of the incident:

“Either Victor or his mate said, ‘If I was a white man it wouldn’t matter - you’re being racist’. A crowd was gathering by this stage. It was getting more and more agitated.”

While it is fair to cite racism as a motivator for this incident, is not also a tiny bit racist to fail to discern between Anichebe and “his mate”? The quote above may as well start: “One of those black folks said…”

Everton have issued a statement claiming the player was “distressed” by the incident, and that they expect a full apology from the police.