More training call

Coroner hands down death findings

POLICE need more training to identify people in custody who are gravely ill after a man died while being arrested on the Gold Coast, an inquest has found.

Coroner John Lock, in handing down his report into the death of homeless man Pasquale Giorgio while he was being arrested at Broadbeach on April 5, 2016, recommended a joint review between police and ambulance on what trainensure ing police need to respond to circumstances similar to Mr Giorgio’s death.

He also called for a review of first aid kits in police vehicles.

Police were called to Victoria Park after Mr Giorgio refused to leave a restaurant. While there, the homeless man exposed this genitalia to police.

Police arrested him, put him on the ground and put pressure on his chest.

The inquest heard when police put Mr Giorgio into the back of a paddy wagon they noticed a brown froth coming from his mouth.

Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Mr Lock said that during the inquest officers all agreed they needed better education and training to help them “identify and help someone who is gravely unwell, like Mr Giorgio was that day”.

Mr Lock said the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service needed to review the circumstances jointly of Mr Giorgio’s death and find a way to help officers respond more appropriately in the future.

“I also recommend consistent with the opinion of (QAS medical director) Dr (Stephen) Rashford that the first aid capability of the QPS vehicle be reviewed to they carry basic equipment such as mouthto-face masks,” he said.

The inquest was told one of the police officers tried to find a mask to help resuscitate Mr Giorgio but there was not one in the vehicle.

The recommendations followed a hearing earlier this year.

When asked to comment on the findings, a Queensland Police Media spokeswoman told the Bulletin police needed 24 hours to respond to queries not related to an emergency.