Contact between a man and police before his death - Staffordshire Police, June 2017

In June 2017 Staffordshire Police received a complaint from a woman alleging she had been raped. Staffordshire Police officers arrested the suspect that same day. The man arrived at the police station custody suite at 8.10pm and was held in police custody for 24 hours.

During his detention the man was interviewed by police and examined by healthcare professionals. His custody record indicates that risks were identified regarding his mental health and potential for self-harm.

The following day it was concluded the threshold for charging had not been met. Consequently a decision was made that the man should be ‘released under investigation’ while the police made further enquiries.

The day after, Staffordshire Police were informed that the man had been found dead. An inquest into the man’s death later concluded that he had committed suicide.

Our investigation considered the nature and extent of police interaction with the man before his death, and whether his release was justified in view of the risk of self-harm that had been identified.

Our investigators examined the man’s 24 hours in police detention, from his arrest through to his release. The police station custody log was considered in great detail and evidence was also obtained and analysed from healthcare professionals and key police officers.

The evidence showed that, while the man had numerous interactions with the police, during his 24 hours in police detention, there was nothing to suggest that any of these interactions were unusual, unnecessary, or in violation of relevant policing protocols. There was no evidence to suggest that the man’s eventual release from police detention was anything other than justified. There was also no evidence to suggest that the police in any way caused or contributed to the man’s death some 18 hours following his release.

Based on the evidence available, we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.