Police not to blame for man’s death, watchdog announces
A POLICE force did not contribute to a man’s sudden death just over an hour after he was handcuffed in Caerphilly borough, a watchdog has said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated Gwent Police after a 32-year-old man died on Blackwood High Street after interacting with a number of officers.
Simon Love was pronounced dead at the scene on June 25, 2018 despite receiving emergency treatment from paramedics.
Members of the public flagged down a passing patrol car at around 2.30pm that day concerned about a man’s welfare in Blackwood High Street, according to the IOPC. When officers encountered Mr Love, he was acting erratically on the pavement, and an officer took hold of his arm as he was walking towards the busy road.
An ambulance was requested along with the attendance of further officers. According to the police watchdog CCTV footage showed Mr Love walking in circles before stumbling and falling to the ground.
Officers handcuffed Mr Love at 2.35pm as he struggled on the ground. They then moved him onto his side to try to enable medical treatment and apply an oxygen mask.
At 2.47pm an officer advised the force control room that Mr Love was struggling to breathe and at 2.52pm messaged to say he was now unresponsive. Officers removed the handcuffs a couple of minutes later while continuing to make resuscitation attempts. They were joined by a paramedic at around 3pm and an ambulance crew five minutes later. Mr Love was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.48pm.
Following a referral from Gwent Police, IOPC investigators attended the scene that day and the police postincident procedure began enquiries. Investigators took witness statements from the officers involved, paramedics, a passing doctor who had tried to assist, members of the public, and Mr Love’s family. During the investigation, the IOPC said it examined CCTV and police body-worn video footage along with radio and telephone transmissions.
The IOPC considered relevant force and national policies on the use of force and handcuffs, it said.
Evidence indicated that Mr Love had ingested drugs prior to the incident. A post mortem examination carried out concluded the likely cause of
death was MDMA and cocaine toxicity. Following an inquest held this week at Newport Coroner’s Court, a jury today (Thursday) returned a conclusion of a drugs-related death, the IOPC said.
At the end of its investigation in April 2019 the IOPC shared their investigation report with the coroner, Mr Love’s family and Gwent Police.
IOPC director for Wales, Catrin Evans, said: “I again send my condolences to Mr Love’s family and friends for their sad loss. This was a traumatic event for everyone involved and those who witnessed it. We carried out a thorough investigation into the circumstances and in our view the officers acted appropriately in the face of a medical emergency.
“The early decision to handcuff Mr Love was proportionate and necessary as, while not aggressive, he was clearly in need of medical help and there was a risk of him trying to leave or stepping into a busy road. Officers kept him handcuffed to help administer urgent medical treatment.
“While with hindsight Mr Love’s handcuffs might have been removed slightly earlier, we are of the view officers did their best in the challenging circumstances of a dynamic medical emergency.”
The IOPC found no conduct to justify bringing any disciplinary proceedings against officers involved, but recommended they take part in a debrief to consider any learning, for instance around the treatment of seizures, and any further training needs arising.