Rashan Charles: Inquest opens to establish why young father died after police chase
Coroner's court hears that two post-mortem examinations have failed to establish a cause of death
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The inquest to establish why a man died after being chased by police in London will be heard in front of a jury, a coroner has ruled.
Two post-mortem examinations have failed to establish the cause of 20-year-old Rashan Charles’ death as his family and friends demand justice.
Mr Charles died on 22 July after being chased into a shop in the east London borough of Dalston, where CCTV showed a Metropolitan Police officer struggling with him on the floor.
The footage sparked a series of protests in the neighbourhood, including a vigil that was followed by violence last month, seeing demonstrators set up barricades, start fires and launch bottles and fireworks at police.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is investigating Mr Charles’ death, said he “became unwell” while being restrained and a package of caffeine and paracetamol wrapped in plastic was later removed from his airway by paramedics.
He was taken to the Royal London Hospital in nearby Whitechapel, but pronounced dead at 2.55am.
Poplar Coroner’s Court heard that two post-mortem examinations carried out on Mr Charles, the second of which was on behalf of his family and the police, have been inconclusive.
David Brereton, an officer for the coroner, told the court that officials were awaiting the results of toxicology tests and “no medical cause of death has been offered at this time”.
He said a paramedic who took Mr Charles to hospital from the Yours Locally convenience shop in Kingsland Road noted a “foreign body was found in his airway” but gave no further details.
Mr Charles’ father, uncle and a family friend were present for a brief hearing where the inquest was opened and adjourned, but said they did not want to speak to reporters.
Mary Hassell, the senior coroner for Inner North London, said the full inquest would be held in front of a jury in June and was expected to last for several weeks.
Addressing Mr Charles’ relatives in court, she said: "I'm sorry that seems a long way away – it is a long way away.
"But it is my experience that when the IPCC is investigating a death like this, it's impossible to have the inquest sooner."
Mr Charles's family have expressed concerns over the “openness and transparency” of the IPCC investigation into his death, vowing to use “all lawful means available” to establish what happened.
Cindy Butts, the commissioner overseeing the probe, acknowledged “much public speculation and anger” and said she would work to ensure people have confidence in the ongoing investigation.
“The IPCC is independently scrutinising all the evidence, in order to provide answers for Rashan’s family, friends and the wider public,” she added.
“Rashan’s family have appealed for calm, while we undertake our important work. I would echo their appeal and reassure the public that our investigation will consider every shred of available evidence.”
Ms Butts said the IPCC has met with Mr Charles’ family and was “looking into the circumstances of Rashan’s death, not investigating Rashan”.
Friends paid tribute to Mr Charles as a much-loved member of the community and a good father to his baby daughter, Remiya.
Jada, Remiya’s mother, told The Independent he was a “caring and generous” father who was close to his family and always sought to help people.
“Rash was such a caring and generous dad,” the 19-year-old said. “He was always buying her things, and he always gave food to the beggars on the street.”
Friends had warned of the prospect of disorder if justice was not seen to be done in the case, calling for the police officer and a member of the public involved in the incident to be prosecuted.
Mr Charles was the second young man to die following an altercation with police in London within weeks, with Edson Da Costa dying in hospital six days after being detained by police who stopped the car he was travelling in.
Campaigners claim Mr Da Costa was “brutally beaten” but the IPCC, which is also investigating his death, said an early pathology report showed no sign of serious injury and that he had “a number of packages in his throat”.
Violence broke out following a peaceful protest marking both men’s deaths outside Stoke Newington police station on 28 July, seeing police officers, a cyclist and lorry driver attacked, and the Metropolitan Police have launched a new appeal to identify three people wanted for questioning.
A spokesperson said the planned demonstration was initially peaceful but “was used by a small number of people as an opportunity to commit disorder”.
Investigators are appealing to identify a white woman with long brown hair, who was wearing a blue denim top, a black man with short black hair and unshaven, who was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and glasses, and a light-skinned black man in his late teens, who was wearing a grey tracksuit with a hood.
Police are appealing for anyone who recognises them to contact the investigation team directly on 0207 275 3632.