Contact with a man before he becomes seriously unwell - Thames Valley Police, March 2018

Northamptonshire Police officers arrested a man on 13 March 2018 on suspicion of theft. Upon arrest, it transpired that there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest from Thames Valley Police (TVP) for a burglary offence. He was further arrested for this by Northamptonshire Police. He was initially conveyed to a Northamptonshire Police custody suite, where he was examined by a healthcare professional (HCP) as he had disclosed that he was an alcoholic and had previously been a drug user. The HCP deemed him fit to be detained and transferred to Milton Keynes police station by TVP officers.

Upon arriving at Milton Keynes police station, the man was immediately seen by an HCP as his symptoms of alcohol withdrawal had worsened and he was no longer deemed fit to be detained. He was transported to hospital by an ambulance, escorted by a TVP officer. While in hospital, he suffered a heart attack, from which he had to be resuscitated.

Our investigators reviewed all evidence relating to the man’s contact with police on 13 and 14 March 2018. This included witness statements from all officers and HCPs involved in dealing with him. Investigators also reviewed the custody record and custody CCTV from the Northamptonshire Police custody suite.

We found no evidence to suggest that police caused or contributed to the man’s serious injury.