Police response to man’s call before his subsequent death – Metropolitan Police Service, April 2019

On 14 April 2019 a man contacted the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) control centre via an email form to report harassing phone calls. The man reported the calls as “torture” and that he started to feel a “little suicidal”.

Contact was made with the man by a control operator via the telephone and police officers were dispatched on the same date to the home address. The officers gave words of advice to the man about changing his phone number to prevent the calls.

On 17 April 2019, Police Scotland contacted the MPS’ force control centre via email, making a request to raise an “incident for concern” and for officers to visit the home address for the same man. The force received concerns from the man’s father who had not heard from his son for four days, and the wife had not heard from him for two days.
The father also raised concerns regarding his son’s health issues and mental state. Officers attended the home address around midnight on 18 April 2019 where he was found dead.

This came to our attention on 23 April 2019 as a Death or serious injury referral, however a complaint was received by the man’s father thereafter.

Our investigation considered whether the actions completed by the MPS in response on 17 April 2019 comply with local and national policies and guidance including the call grading, the level of response and documentation completed. In addition, we investigated the delivery of messages to the father by the MPS following his son’s death on 18 April 2019 and whether the communication was racially motivated.

We reviewed telephone calls made to MPS, London Ambulance Service (LAS) and Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). We analysed airwaves of attending patrols and consulted policies, procedures and command logs generated around the incident.

A police sergeant, an acting police sergeant, five police constables, one executive officer and two communications officers were served with notices alleging breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour.

Our investigation concluded in March 2020.

We concluded 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 informed the MPS and the coroner that none of the officers and police staff members involved had a case to answer for misconduct.

The MPS agreed that management advice should be given to four officers and a member of police staff. This will allow for any support required to be provided, particularly in regard to ensuring correct paperwork is completed and reminding them of the relevant policies and procedures.

Having reviewed all relevant evidence, the complaint that the police treatment of the man was racially motivated was not upheld.

An inquest into his death ruled that he died of natural causes. The coroner heard it was likely he had suffered a diabetic attack or Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.

Throughout this investigation, we have carefully considered whether there are any opportunities for learning or improvement. In this case, we did not identify any organisational learning.