Police contact with a man experiencing drug withdrawal – Merseyside Police, June 2024

A man was arrested at his home address after he did not attend court in relation to driving offences. He was taken to custody.

The man told custody staff he was experiencing drug withdrawal. Health Care Professionals (HCPs) within custody gave the man medication to relieve his symptoms.  

The man was found unresponsive in his cell by an HCP. Custody staff and the on-duty HCP gave the man CPR and medical treatment, and an ambulance was called. The man sadly died at hospital. 

We received a death or serious injury referral from the force and decided to investigate the nature and extent of police contact with the man before he died, including whether the police may have caused or contributed to his death. 

We examined the man’s detention, arrest, transportation and handover to custody, the risk assessments that were completed, the level of care and medical attention the man received, and whether the actions and decisions made by the police were in line with local and national policies and guidance.  

We considered CCTV footage from the custody suite, reviewed custody logs and a toxicology report, and took statements from officers. 

We concluded there was no indication that a person serving with the police committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner justifying the bringing of disciplinary proceedings. 

We did recommend that officers and staff would benefit from reflecting on their individual actions, including the decision not to activate body worn video, and the way cell observation checks were recorded. 

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system and prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. 

We recommended that Authorised Professional Practice (APP) be amended to include guidance on observations levels for a person withdrawing from drugs or alcohol in a custody setting. This is being reviewed by The College of Policing.