Man becomes unwell in custody - Greater Manchester Police, March 2018

On 5 March 2018, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) arrested a man on suspicion of assault, following reports of assault and criminal damage. The man was searched and handcuffed. While escorted to the police van, the man attempted to escape and was restrained. He was then placed into the cage of the police van to be taken to a custody suite. During the journey, the man became unwell and an officer administered basic first aid. The officer continued to check on the man and believed that the man had stopped breathing. The man was taken to the custody suite, as it was the closest location available where there was a healthcare practitioner and a defibrillator. The officers and the custody staff restrained the man until ambulance staff and a doctor arrived to administer treatment. The man was subsequently taken to hospital, where he made a full recovery.

During the investigation, we obtained accounts from the officers. We reviewed the CCTV footage from the custody suite and body-worn camera footage from several officers, along with all documentation related to the man’s arrest and arrival at the custody suite.

Based on the evidence available, we found no indication that the actions of the officers or staff contributed to the man becoming unwell. We also determined that there were no indications of misconduct or issues with performance of any of those involved.

We also noted that the available evidence indicated that the swift action of the officers, custody staff, control room staff and custody nurse, and their subsequent action in collaboration with ambulance service staff may have prevented a far worse outcome for the man.