Nine police officers under investigation over death of mentally ill man restrained in custody

Nine police officers are being investigated over the death of a man who was taken to hospital after being restrained by police.

Kevin Clarke, 35, died at Lewisham Hospital on 9 March. His family said they were in “agony” following the incident, saying he “must have been of been petrified” in his final minutes.

Metropolitan Police officers were responding to reports someone was trying to break into a property in Lewisham, South London. He was reportedly in an agitated state when they arrived and they restrained him until paramedics arrived.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said the investigation into the circumstances of Mr Clarke’s death was “making good progress” and investigators had examined footage from body worn cameras from the police officers. It said they had established there was no CCTV footage covering the premises.

After reviewing the evidence, they told nine officers they were under formal investigation.

Regional Director Jonathan Green said: “We have established that the decisions made and actions taken to restrain Mr Clarke may be in breach of police professional standards and may amount to gross misconduct. This position will be kept under review as the investigation develops and it is important to stress that this does not necessarily mean that misconduct proceedings will follow.

“For everyone involved in this tragic incident, it is vital that we continue to carefully examine all the evidence available to us so we can fully understand what happened that day.”

Mr Clarke’s family described him as a gifted footballer who coached young people who had gone through “difficult times”

They said in a statement: “The news from the IOPC has left us reeling. On the one hand, we feel vindicated that everyone who dealt with Kevin in his final minutes will be interviewed to explain their actions. Yet, we’re shocked to the core to learn that the police felt it necessary to use the force of nine officers to restrain one unwell man.

“The very fact that the police called an ambulance to provide medical assistance for Kevin tells us that they knew he was unwell and potentially experiencing a mental health episode so we’re struggling to understand the reason for such an excessive response.

“Kevin must have been petrified in his final minutes and it is agony for us to even think about this.”

“We’re keeping focused on getting to the truth. Only by reviewing all of the circumstances leading up to Kevin’s untimely passing, can we be sure of getting answers.”

According to research by Inquest, which supports families bereaved after a state-related death, black and minority people die disproportionately as a result of use of force or restraint by the police.

Director of Inquest Deborah Coles said: “There is an alarmingly disproportionate pattern of deaths of people from black and minority ethnic communities following the use of force by the Metropolitan Police. The serious risks of restraint on people with mental ill health are well recognised, which makes the death of Kevin Clarke following restraint all the more disturbing.”