Probe as man dies after officers respond to reports of child being assaulted

An investigation has been launched by the police watchdog following the death of a man in south London after officers were called to reports of a child being assaulted, the Metropolitan Police said.

Officers were called to High Street, South Norwood, at 1.27am on Sunday after reports that a child was being assaulted, the force added.

After gaining entry to a property, officers encountered a 45-year-old man who was experiencing a medical emergency.

Police said he was “very agitated and was actively resisting against officers”. He was restrained and paramedics were called.

When paramedics arrived, the man was transported to an ambulance where he became seriously unwell.

He was taken to hospital where he later died. His next of kin have been informed.

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards is aware and a referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the force said.

A referral in these circumstances is not an indication that officers are believed to have done anything wrong, it is a mandatory step when anyone dies or suffers serious injury following contact with the police or while in their custody, the force said.

Commander Andy Brittain, who is overseeing the response to this incident, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died. We will ensure they are fully supported.

“I know the community in South Norwood will want to be reassured that the incident was handled appropriately. The IOPC is conducting an investigation to provide that independent scrutiny.

“We must also acknowledge the impact that incidents like this have on the officers involved. In this case they were responding to an emergency call involving a child in danger and on arrival at the scene, were met with a very challenging situation.

“No officer ever wants to be involved in an incident where someone loses their life and we will ensure they get all the support they need.”

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have started an investigation into the contact Met police officers had with a man prior to his death during an incident at a property in South Norwood on Sunday.

“We have been informed that police went to the address after receiving reports of an assault just before 1.30am.

“A man, aged 45, was restrained by officers, who subsequently lost consciousness. Paramedics were called and the man was transported to hospital where he sadly died shortly after 3.30am.

“After being notified by the force we declared an independent investigation and sent investigators to the scene and police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence. That included obtaining initial statements from the officers involved.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died and we will be in contact with them to explain our role.”