IOPC investigating police response following man’s death in Stoke

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation following the death of a man who fell ill in Stoke-on-Trent city centre.

Staffordshire Police officers attended London Road, near Sainsbury’s supermarket, on the morning of Sunday 14 June following reports of a man running in the street between vehicles and seemingly in distress.

We have viewed call logs relating to the incident, officer deployment details, and body worn video and have verified that seven officers attended, with the first arriving on scene at 10.22am.

Officers used force against the 31-year-old, who is from Staffordshire, placing him in handcuffs before applying leg restraints.

Paramedics arrived at the location at 10.39am; he was transported to hospital but sadly pronounced dead at 11.40am.

We declared an independent investigation on the same day. IOPC investigators attended the scene in London Road to preserve and gather evidence.

IOPC Director of Engagement, Derrick Campbell, said: “At this stage, having viewed body worn footage and made an initial assessment, the officers involved are being treated as witnesses. This will be kept under review as our investigation progresses and more evidence is examined.

“We have begun a CCTV trawl of the immediate area, with more enquiries to be undertaken, and recovered footage for analysis. The body worn video of attending officers also gives us a good picture of what happened and the actions of officers.

“Our investigation will examine the police response, the actions of officers at the scene, any medical attention officers provided, and the use of force.

“One of our specially trained family liaison managers has been in touch with the man’s loved ones to offer whatever support we can and to explain our role and next steps. My condolences go to the man’s family and friends for their loss.”