Man's death after being handcuffed investigated

The death of a man who had been handcuffed and placed in leg restraints is being investigated by the police watchdog.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the 31-year-old fell ill near Sainsbury's on London Road in Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday morning after officers found a distressed man running in the street between vehicles.

They arrived at 10:22 BST and "used force" against the man, the IOPC said.

Investigators have established that seven officers attended after looking at call logs, officer deployment details, and body-worn video, the watchdog confirmed.

"Officers used force against the 31-year-old, who is from Staffordshire, placing him in handcuffs before applying leg restraints," the IOPC said.

"Paramedics arrived at the location at 10:39. He was transported to hospital but sadly pronounced dead at 11:40.

"We declared an independent investigation on the same day. IOPC investigators attended the scene in London Road to preserve and gather evidence."

IOPC director of engagement Derrick Campbell, said that after an initial assessment of the circumstances, the officers involved were being treated as witnesses.

"This will be kept under review as our investigation progresses and more evidence is examined," he said.

"We have begun a CCTV trawl of the immediate area, with more inquiries to be undertaken, and recovered footage for analysis.

"The body-worn video of attending officers also gives us a good picture of what happened and the actions of officers.

"Our investigation will examine the police response, the actions of officers at the scene, any medical attention officers provided, and the use of force."

He added that family liaison managers had been in touch with the man's family to offer support and explain next steps.

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