Source · IOPC Learning Case

Man dies following contact with police - June 2017, Metropolitan Police Service

Metropolitan Police Service Ref: 2017/087237 Recommended 31 Jan 2019 Response due 6 Jun 2019

Death and serious injury Use of force and armed policing

On 15 June 2017, five plainclothes Metropolitan Police Services (MPS) officers were on patrol in an unmarked car in Newham, east London, as part of an operation intended to tackle gang related crime. The officers’ attention was drawn to a Mercedes, and they signalled to the driver to pull over. Both vehicles pulled over at 9.59pm. Witness and officer accounts indicate that the officers restrained one of the male passengers from the vehicle on the ground. One officer discharged his …

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Recommendations

1 total

Recommendation 1

The College of Policing should seek expert advice to determine the medical implications of using incapacitant spray when a subject is suspected of having an item in their mouth (that may lead to an obstruction to their airway). The College of Policing should then take the action it deems appropriate to deal with this expert advice. Do you accept the recommendation? Yes

Addressed to: College of Policing

Linked bodies: College of Policing

Accepted

Force response

Accepted action: The College of Policing sought medical opinion on this matter and found there is conflicting evidence in regards to the medical implications of using CS spray when a subject is suspected to have something in their mouth. As such, guidance will not be changed and officers will not be told there is an increased risk of airway obstruction. For details, please refer to exchange of correspondence between the IOPC and the College of Policing available on this page.