Investigation into a complaint over police handling of man before his death – Gwent Police, February 2021

At 8:50am on 17 February 2021, Gwent Police received an abandoned 999 call from an address in Newport, Gwent, during which sounds of a possible disturbance could be heard. 

At 8.53am, a couple called Gwent Police in considerable distress, reported her son’s distressing behaviour. They requested that officers attend urgently.

Officers attended at approximately 9am and requested an ambulance and support from colleagues. They subsequently gained entry to the man’s bedroom and restrained him in handcuffs and leg restraints.

At approximately 9.18am, an officer updated the Control Room that the man had been restrained. He asked if the ambulance could attend sooner, as he appeared to be under the influence of drugs. 

At approximately 9.31am, an officer updated the Ambulance Service that the man’s condition had deteriorated. 

At approximately 9.56am, an officer updated the Ambulance Service that the man’s condition had deteriorated further. 

An ambulance attended at approximately 10.04am, and at approximately 10.37am the man went into cardiac arrest and was conveyed to hospital. However, paramedics were unable to revive the man and he was pronounced dead in hospital at 11.41am. 

Toxicology tests revealed that the man had potentially fatal levels of cocaine in his bloodstream. 

Our investigators attended the scene and the Post Incident Procedure (PIP) and secured relevant evidence, including officer body-worn video footage. 

Investigators reviewed the available footage, call recordings, logs and relevant national guidance, and sought the opinion of a police use of force expert. 

They also obtained accounts from the attending officers and paramedics, and from the man’s family.

We found that the officers’ actions were driven by their assessment of the risk which the man posed to himself and to others present, and that the evidence did not suggest officers treated him less-favourably because of his race.

The investigation did not find grounds for bringing criminal or disciplinary proceedings against those involved, but found that the communication between some officers and the family of the man could have been carried out in a more empathetic and compassionate manner.

We carefully considered whether there were any organisational learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system, and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. 

We found it concerning that while officers recognized they were dealing with a medical emergency, ABD (Acute Behavioural Disturbance ) was not communicated as a potential impact factor in his ill- health to the ambulance service. 

We recommended a number of enhancements for Gwent Police to consider for officer training with regards to ABD and restraint. Gwent Police have informed the IOPC that they have implemented this learning.