Police officers are cleared of misconduct after failing to remove noose from dying man’s neck in bid to preserve evidence
- Essex Police were told about concerns over the man’s welfare last December
- Officers visited his home and discovered that he had barricaded himself inside
- They forced entry to reach him but said that they could not find a pulse
Two police officers have been cleared of misconduct after they failed to remove a noose from a dying man’s neck in a bid to preserve evidence.
Essex Police were told about concerns over the unnamed man’s welfare by a mental health practitioner in December last year.
Officers called round to the patient’s home where they discovered that he had barricaded himself inside one of the rooms.
Two police officers have been cleared of misconduct after they failed to remove a noose from a dying man’s neck in a bid to preserve evidence. Pictured: Essex Police Headquarters
They forced entry and found the man who appeared to have hanged himself.
Police said that they could not find a pulse nor did they perform CPR and instead chose to leave the ligature around his neck.
But an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) heard that paramedics arrived on the scene and found that he was still warm to the touch before trying to revive him.
The man was then transferred to hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The IOPC has since ruled that there was no misconduct but did suggest that officers would now get ‘further training’ in dealing with similar situations.
A spokesman for the body said: ‘The body-worn video footage provided evidence that one of the officers had checked the man for a pulse, which he could not feel, and had concluded that the man was dead, based on this fact and the observation that he did not appear to be breathing.
The Essex Police officers working under Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington (pictured) have been cleared of misconduct
‘Both officers stated that they had not removed the ligature from the man’s neck as a result of this conclusion and had sought to preserve evidence from the scene.
‘The paramedics stated that they checked for signs of life when they arrived.
‘They made efforts to revive the man based on the finding that he was still warm to the touch.
‘At the end of the investigation, based on the evidence available, we found no indication that any person serving with the police may have behaved in a manner that would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, or had committed a criminal offence.
‘Essex Police proposed both officers receive further training to be able to effectively deal with another hanging scenario.
‘It was therefore our view that management action was not required.’
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