29 July 2021

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has today released their annual statistics on deaths during or following police contact in England and Wales.

Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST said: “Last year the world responded to the death of George Floyd and mobilised against deaths in police custody and racial injustice. Yet once again the data on deaths in police custody and contact in England and Wales repeat the same patterns, nothing changes. This is despite the lifesaving recommendations from multiple inquests and the Angiolini review.

This gives the impression that successive governments are willing to accept these deaths, which we know from our casework are often caused by systemic failures to safeguard intoxicated people or people in mental health crisis, dangerous restraint, and neglect.

The focus of this Government however is denying structural racism and inequality, appearing tough, ignoring evidence and repeating failed policies focused on criminalisation. Ultimately to prevent further deaths and harm, we must look beyond policing and redirect resources into community, health, welfare and specialist services.”

ENDS 

NOTES TO EDITORS 

For further information contact Lucy McKay on 020 7263 1111 or [email protected].

View the full IOPC report and data tables here or see their media release.

Since the end of the IOPC statistics reporting period on 31 March 2021, INQUEST casework and monitoring has recorded a further five deaths in or following police custody and contact, excluding road traffic incidents and cases not being investigated by the IOPC. These include a death last Saturday (24 July) in Haringey, and the death of Leighton Jones in Cardiff.

Last year (2019-20), the IOPC recorded 18 deaths in or following police custody, three police shootings, 24 deaths related to road traffic incidents, and 54 apparent suicides following custody. The IOPC also investigated 107 'other' deaths following contact with the police in a wide range of circumstances. See media release.

Restraint related deaths
The IOPC report 12 deaths involving restraint in or following police custody in the period, of whom one were racialised as Black and the rest were White. As well as nine, out of the 92 other deaths following contact investigated by the IOPC, that involved restraint or other use of force by police (8) or others (1).

According to the information from INQUEST’s casework and monitoring, this includes the following deaths:

• Ronald Robinson, a 56 year old White man, died in contact with Lancashire police in Blackpool on 11 March 2021. See media reports.
• Mouayed Bashir, a 29 year old man with Sudanese heritage, died following restraint by Gwent police in Newport on 17 February 2021. See media reports and family campaign.
• Brian Ringrose, a 24 year old man, died following restraint by Thames Valley police on 2 February 2021. See media reports.
• Mohamud Hassan, a 24 year old man with Somali heritage, died following restraint by Cardiff police on 9 January 2021. See media reports and justice campaign
• Neal Saunders, a 39 year old White man, died following restraint by Thames Valley police on 3 September 2020. See media reports.
• Krystian Kilkowski, a 32 year old White man originally from Poland, died following restraint by Norfolk police in Diss on 11 August 2020. See media reports.
• Simeon Francis, a 35 year old Black man, died following restraint by Devon and Cornwall police on 20 May 2020. See media reports.

United Nations report on policing and racism
Earlier this month, the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has published a damning report calling on states including the UK to “end impunity” for human rights violations against Black people by police officers and reverse the “cultures of denial” towards systemic racism. The report highlighted the case of Kevin Clarke. More information.