Investigation into police contact after man dies – Avon and Somerset Police, May 2023

A member of the public reported that they had found a man hanging in a barn on their land. Police officers went to the barn and brought the man’s body down, giving CPR until paramedics arrived. The man was later pronounced dead by a paramedic doctor.

The man had had contact with the police in the five days before his death. Members of the public had reported concerns for the man’s safety to the police after he was seen walking on the hard shoulder of a motorway. Officers were concerned that the man may be an illegal immigrant because he could not speak much English, did not have any identification and may have been travelling in a lorry. The man was arrested and taken to custody.

In custody, the man was asked about his welfare and any mental health issues. An interpreter was used to communicate with the man, and he was observed every 30 minutes after saying he felt suicidal. He was released from custody later that day and was offered a room in a hotel for the night.

In the days before the man’s death, other members of the public had reported concerns for his welfare to the police after he was noticed wandering around looking cold and tired.

We received a death or serious injury referral from the force, and two days later the man’s brother raised concerns about why the man was released from custody without any support when he was unwell. The force also referred this complaint to us.

We decided to independently investigate the police contact with the man before his death, including whether the actions and decisions made by officers were in line with local policies, guidance and training.

Our investigators obtained statements from all the officers and police staff involved, as well as witnesses. We reviewed custody records, body worn video and relevant policies.

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

We found that officers arrived at the barn in minutes after receiving the report of the man hanging from the beam, providing first aid appropriate to their training and experience. We also found that officers made every effort to ensure the man’s safety in custody, and the decision to remove the man from the motorway by arresting him was reasonable in the circumstances.

The inquest into the man’s death concluded in May 2025, where the coroner directed the force to retrain an officer in first aid. This has been completed. Learning around cutting someone down was also addressed and implemented by the force.

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 did not identify any organisational learning in this case.