Chelsea's Tiemoue Bakayoko Searched By Armed Italian Police In Case Of Mistaken Identity

Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was held against a police car and an officer drew their weapon in what turned out to be a scary case of mistaken identity.

Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was held against a police car and an officer drew their weapon in what turned out to be a scary case of mistaken identity.

Bakayoko has been on loan at AC Milan since August 2021 and was part of the Rossoneri team that won Serie A last season.

But despite his celebrity status in Milan, Bakayoko was wrongly confused with a suspect by police who ordered him to get out of a car in the middle of a road.

Part of the incident was captured in a video that was later shared by Sport Italia journalist Tancredi Palmeri.

Tiemoue Bakayoko pictured (right) being searched by a policeman in Milan while another officer points her gun into the car the soccer star had been traveling in :: Twitter/@DrGianlucaFumo

Footage shows Bakayoko being searched and having his pockets emptied by one officer, while another aims her gun into the vehicle Bakayoko had been traveling in.

But it eventually becomes apparent to the officer searching Bakayoko that he is not the man they were looking for.

Tweeting the video, Tancredi wrote: "Shocking footage of Milan's Bakayoko in Milan's downtown held at gunpoint by police cause taken for someone else.

"Check when one of cop goes telling to the colleague searching him that it's not the suspect but a Milan player, and the cop saying 'WHO?!?'"

Shocking footage of Milan’s Bakayoko in Milan’s downtown held at gunpoint by police cause taken for someone else.

Check when one of cop goes telling to the colleague searching him that it’s not the suspect but a Milan player, and the cop saying “WHO?!?”
pic.twitter.com/B0PTYiXnc5

— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) July 18, 2022

The police officers later apologized to Bakayoko, according to a statement published by AC Milan.

"After a shootout in the area where the midfielder happened to be, the police started making checks," the statement read, as reported by BBC Sport.

"The player was stopped but as soon as the police verified that he had nothing to do with what happened, they apologized and let him go." 

Bakayoko has not played for Chelsea since 2018 but is still under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2024.

However, Milan's loan deal, which expires next summer, includes an option to sign him permanently.

Bakayoko has also been linked with a possible move to Marseille this summer.