14 police hurt in riot over arrest death
A MOB hurled bricks at police and set fire to rubbish bins in a protest at a man’s death after a traffic stop.
Fourteen officers were injured and four taken to hospital after violence flared in east London.
Victims included a woman constable who suffered head injuries and a man police sergeant who was knocked unconscious after an object struck his helmet.
All four were later discharged from hospital after treatment.
Five people were arrested for violent disorder or criminal damage.
Crowds gathered outside Forest Gate police station on Sunday evening to protest at the death of Edson Da Costa earlier this month.
The 25-year-old father was in a car with two other men when they were stopped in nearby Beckton around 10pm on June 15.
Officers used “force” and CS gas to overpower the men in the car, the police watchdog said.
Mr Da Costa collapsed and was given first aid before an ambulance took him to hospital.
Rumours
He died six days later. Campaigners claim he suffered a broken neck, plus head and other injuries when he was beaten by police.
A post-mortem examination indicated he suffered no spinal or neck injuries, said the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
The IPCC disclosed the information unusually early in the investigation amid concerns about the “rapid spread of false and potentially inflammatory” rumours.
Although feelings in the community were high, the protest started peacefully on Sunday evening.
However, tempers flared after nightfall and riot police wearing helmets and carrying shields pressed forward in a line from the police station at around 9.35pm.
Bricks were ripped from a wall and thrown at officers while firefighters, protected by police, hosed out fires which had been set in bins. Protesters then gathered outside Stratford bus station, where bricks were also thrown and small bin fires started.
Most of the crowds had dispersed by the early hours of yesterday, said Scotland Yard.
Acting Chief Superintendent Ian Larnder had earlier appealed for calm. He said: “All police officers are fully aware that they will be asked to account for their actions.
“Officers are not exempt from the law and we would not wish to be.
“I know that family, friends and the wider community want answers.
“But it is important the investigation is allowed to take place to establish the full facts of what happened before conclusions are made.”
The IPCC said “rigorous investigations” into the cause of his death were continuing.
Chief Superintendent Larnder added: “While we will always support the right for lawful protest, the events of Sunday night cannot be justified.
“Not only were our officers confronted by violence, with several of them being injured, but local residents were severely disrupted.
“Behaviour such as that seen overnight will not be tolerated and an investigation will begin to identify those individuals who targeted our officers.”