Investigation into man’s death following arrest and restraint by Met Police

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is independently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a man, following his arrest and restraint by Met Police officers at a property in south London on Sunday 16 February.   

A 45-year-old man died in hospital shortly after he was transported by ambulance from an address on the High Street in South Norwood. A post-mortem has been carried out and we are awaiting further tests. The man has not yet been formally identified.      

After being notified by the force we sent investigators to the scene and police post incident procedures where the officers involved provided their initial accounts and we have now been provided with more detailed accounts.   

We have also gathered a significant amount of body worn video which will be subject to detailed analysis. We will be reviewing witness statements and conducting enquiries regarding CCTV footage in the area.

We have established that Met Police officers were called to a property at around 1.30am following a report of concerns that a child may be being assaulted. Shortly after police arrived, the man was arrested and handcuffed. Police body worn video shows that the man was resisting officers after being handcuffed and was then held on a bed by the officers.   

He remained in an agitated state and officers requested the London Ambulance Service (LAS) over concerns about the man’s behaviour. His condition deteriorated, and he was transported to hospital where he sadly died at around 3.40am.   

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends, and all those affected by his death. We understand that his death while in police custody will be a matter of concern for them, the local community and the wider public. I want to reassure people that we are undertaking a thorough, robust and independent investigation into all of the circumstances surrounding his death.  

“We will continue to gather evidence to piece together the events that took place. We have been in contact with the man’s partner to explain our role and will keep them updated as our enquiries progress.”