Investigation into police contact and use of Taser after man died – Metropolitan Police Service, June 2022

Multiple members of the public called police saying there was a man on a bridge shouting religious remarks and holding a screwdriver or knife. Officers were sent to the scene and engaged with the man. 

The man was Tasered multiple times during this interaction. The man jumped over the bridge railing and fell into the river below. He was rescued by MPS marine officers and members from the Royal National Lifeguard Institute and was taken to hospital. He died later that same day.

We received a death or serious injury referral from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).  

We decided to independently investigate the contact between the police and the man before his death. We considered the communication between the control room and the officers, the officers’ use of force, the communication between the officers and the man, and whether the man was treated less favourably due to protected characteristics. 

We also investigated complaints made by the man’s family about the MPS, as well as considering local and national policies, procedures and training. 

We reviewed and analysed social media footage, body worn video and radio airwaves. A witness appeal was conducted, and a number of witnesses were interviewed. Two officers who engaged with the man were interviewed as witnesses. We also conducted a CCTV trawl but did not find any relevant footage of the incident.

The Taser was downloaded and the results analysed. Expert reports were received from a subject matter expert on use of force, and the man’s clothing was forensically examined for Taser damage. A report was produced on how the Taser was used.

We concluded there was no indication that a person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner justifying the bringing of disciplinary proceedings. 

We did find that the service provided by the police was unacceptable with regards to one complaint made by the family regarding the force’s media handling. 

We carefully considered whether there were any 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 learning opportunities in respect of the police’s deployment communication, and mental health and Taser training. We also found that there was no lifesaving equipment located on the bridge. 

This potential learning will be brought to the attention of the Coroner to inform the content of any preventing future deaths report and explored further with the MPS following the conclusion of the inquest.