IOPC investigation begins following death of man arrested by Greater Manchester Police

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the circumstances of the death of a man after he was arrested and became unwell while in police custody.

We can confirm a 43-year-old man died on Monday 12 May after he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers.

Formal identification has been confirmed but, in order to respect the family’s wishes, we will not be naming the man at this time.   

Our investigation began following a mandatory referral from GMP on Tuesday 13 May. A post-mortem examination was completed on 14 May and we await the results of further testing.

We have established that officers responded to a 999 call from the man who required assistance. At approximately 3.45pm he was arrested by officers but due to concerns for his health while in a police van he was transported to hospital. On his arrival, his condition deteriorated and was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.

IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends, and all those affected by his death. We have now met with his family to explain our role and have advised them of the next steps.

“It’s important that an independent investigation is carried out to fully establish the circumstances when someone has died in police custody. We will ensure that the man’s family and the force are kept informed as our investigation progresses.”  

IOPC investigators have secured body worn footage and obtained accounts from the arresting officers. We will also be gathering policy and guidance documents from the force and attempting to secure any CCTV from the hospital.