Police injured as march over custody death turns violent
SIX police officers were injured when masked thugs hurled bricks and missiles at them during a protest at the death in custody of a young father.
The violence flared after a protest march over the death of Edir Frederico Da Costa, 25, who died in hospital six days after being stopped by officers in east London on June 15.
Campaigners claim he was beaten by police and suffered severe injuries. Protesters were demanding answers following claims that Mr Da Costa, known as Edson, had suffered a broken neck when he was being detained.
However, the police watchdog issued a statement saying a preliminary post mortem examination found the 25-yearold did not suffer a broken neck or any other spinal injury, or a broken collarbone or bleeding to the brain, during his interaction with the police.
Officials are waiting for the results of further toxicology and other tests.
The trouble broke out after a protest march from Forest Gate to Stratford returned to Forest Gate police station.
Residents told of “sickening” scenes as a hard core of demonstrators among a crowd of about 200 set fire to bins and clashed with riot police in streets of family homes around the station.
Workers at local hotels locked themselves and guests in as the protest erupted into violence at about 10pm.
George Georgev, 26, a hostel worker, said: “Some were wearing T-shirts saying ‘They are killers’ on. It was madness, it was a riot. The police in full riot gear came and drove them back from the road. As the protesters were driven back they started taking all the rubbish bins, putting them out in the road and setting fire to them. There must have been about 100 police and hundreds of protesters.”
Muddasar Masood, 38, manager at the Hartley Hotel opposite the scene, said: “It was very, very bad and scary.
“The staff locked the door because they smashed our front door and were trying to get in. There are bricks and glass all over the road which they were throwing. It was scary stuff.”
One resident said: “Someone was having a fit and there were shouts for everyone to stop throwing missiles so she could be treated by the police medics. A missile was thrown in their direction, that got people angry.”
Four officers were taken to hospital with head and face injuries but were discharged after treatment.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said force and CS spray was used in Mr Da Costa’s restraint and “rigorous investigations” into the cause of his death on June 21 were continuing.
Mr Da Costa was with two others in a car when he was stopped by plain clothes officers in a residential cul-desac in Becton. In an original statement the Met said he was thought to have “swallowed a large quantity of drugs” shortly after he was stopped.
His father Ginario Da Costa, 50, said: “It’s unbelievable. If you find somebody and they’ve swallowed drugs, take them to the hospital. I didn’t know he was taking drugs. I’m surprised. He’s my first son. He’s not a violent boy.” Mr Da Costa said doctors had found evidence of heroin and cocaine in his son’s body.
Jussara Gomes, 22, who was driving the vehicle, said police told Mr Da Costa and the other male passenger to get out of the car.
She said: “All of a sudden I heard a strange noise and shouting. He was on the floor and they were telling him, ‘Take it out of your mouth. Take it out of your mouth’.
“There were five of them holding him down, his face was on the floor. They didn’t need to restrain him like that.”
She said: “I was shouting that he couldn’t breathe, asking why is he not moving — that’s when the foam started coming out of his mouth. Then they put him in the recovery position until the ambulance arrived.”
The march was organised by the Mr Da Costa’s family. They had appealed for a calm and peaceful protest.
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter UK movement attended the event using the hashtag #ftp — short for “f*** the police”.