Man dies following contact with police - Dorset Police, April 2017

In April 2017, Dorset Police received a 999 call in which it was reported that a man had broken into a parked car. At around the same time, police received a further 999 call, reporting that a distressed man of a similar description was jumping over people’s fences and into gardens in the same area. Shortly afterwards, several 999 calls were made to Dorset Police concerning a distressed man running in and out of traffic on The Avenue, Poole.

Two police officers were tasked to respond to these incidents and, as they drove along The Avenue, they saw the man and stopped their vehicle in order to speak to him. The man ran towards one of the officers, passed him and jumped into the police vehicle. Fearing for their safety, the officers removed the man from the vehicle and restrained him by applying handcuffs.

According to the officers the man was sweating, red in the face, very hot to the touch and breathing heavily. The officers suspected that the man was suffering from acute behavioural disorder (ABD) and immediately requested an ambulance via the force control room

Six more police officers attended and assisted in restraining the man. An ambulance, having been contacted by the force control room for medical assistance, attended and the man was taken to Poole General Hospital. He died the following morning.

Investigators interviewed members of the public and police officers who had witnessed the incident. They also interviewed members of the police training team, and obtained policies and procedures relating to ABD, restraint, use of force, and police call handler responsibilities.

Based on the evidence available, we were of the opinion that there was no indication that any person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

We identified learning for the Force Command Centre around their procedures relating to ABD, and the need to give accurate information to ambulance service call handlers.

Dorset Police confirmed that they would share learning from the incident both with staff in the Force Command Centre and with the wider force.

We completed our investigation in December 2017 but waited until the inquest into the man’s death had concluded, in late 2019, before publishing its outcome.