Investigation into police contact after man sustains fatal injuries on railway line – Metropolitan Police Service and British Transport Police, January 2024

Police officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and British Transport Police (BTP) responded to calls about a man sitting on top of a wire cage above a footbridge over train tracks.

MPS and BTP officers, along with London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade crews, went to the scene. They spoke with the man for two and a half hours and agreed a plan to get him down safely with the help of the fire brigade.

Sadly, the man then fell a considerable distance onto the train tracks below, sustaining serious injuries. He died in hospital later the same day.

We received a death or serious injury referral from both police forces and decided to independently investigate both referrals together.

We investigated the circumstances leading to the man sustaining fatal injuries, including the interaction of MPS and BTP officers with the man, and whether the actions taken and decisions made by officers were appropriate in the circumstances and in line with relevant guidance, policy and legislation.

The man’s family also expressed concerns about the whereabouts of the man’s wallet and mobile phone, as well as whether emergency services considered using nets below the bridge.

Our investigators attended post-incident procedures and obtained witness accounts from the police officers and others. Body worn video camera footage was studied in detail, as were police, ambulance service and fire brigade records.

Our investigators also liaised with the man’s family and friends to understand background information and to keep them informed about the progress of the investigation.

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 demonstrated particularly good practice during their contact with the man before his death. One officer in particular spent time building a rapport with the man and interacting with him in a reassuring and patient manner throughout.

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.