The family of a man who plunged into the Thames after he was Tasered repeatedly by Met Police claims they were not given the full story of how he died.
Oladeji Omishore's siblings Remi, Aisha and Kenny say they only found out their brother had been Tasered after seeing a viral video online.
Remi, the eldest of the four children, says that when their parents were informed of the incident by police, officers made it seem as if Oladeji had entered the water on his own “volition" and had omitted the fact two officers had made contact with him beforehand.
Overall, the family says they feel the investigation has been a “slap in the face” and that they have been given misleading information from the start.
Remi said: “The way we found out, it wasn't pleasant.
"When my parents got that call, we were not given any background story other than, ‘he’s fallen from a bridge.’
“There was no backstory as to what actually happened. We found out by doing a Google search because I felt uneasy about what I was being told.”
The horror of seeing the video online left the family traumatised and unable to erase the images from their minds.
Remi said: “It was very horrific. It was shocking. These images. It's very, very difficult to erase those images. As a family, you naturally do not want to relive that and put out and re-traumatise ourselves.
“This has been a long grieving process in addition to having to go through the conduct of this case. Sitting around, waiting for information and for the right decisions to be made."
Oladeji’s family says that the case has been littered with misinformation such as reports from the Met Police that their brother had been carrying a screwdriver.
But two weeks later, after the screwdriver claim had been widely reported, the Met stated that it was in fact a firelighter.
Remi said: “They put out there that he was holding a screwdriver when only actually holding a chef lighter or a fire light. A very small, insignificant device, that doesn't pose or hold any threat.”
As well as wrong information, the family had to wait a “cruel” three months to finally be allowed to view the body worn footage from the day he died.
Remi said: “It’s a trend of misinformation. Withholding information. So it's not surprising to us now at this stage because they already started out with that kind of narrative.
“There’s been no apology whatsoever. None at all.”
The police watchdog is currently investigating Oladeji’s death but the officers involved are still on active duty and have not been suspended.
Instead, they are being treated as witnesses in the case which the family says is a “slap in the face”.
Kenny said: “How they're handling the case is like a further slap in the face because, obviously, we're a grieving family. It just further adds to our grief.”
Aisha added: “Our lawyer would describe the inquest as a act finding investigation. So it's just about determining the events of the day and what led up to the encounter and I guess, confirming the cause of death.
“They're not looking into conduct or interrogating whether the officers were in breach of any professional conduct.
“Until they stop treating them as witnesses, then the delays are going to continue and we're not going to have the information that we need.”
The family says that the charity Inquest - which deals with state related deaths - reached out to the new Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to have a meeting.
However, they say they have not had a response from him in two weeks.
Oladeji would have celebrated his 42nd birthday today (September 27) but instead his family says they will fight for him to get justice.
Remi said: “We shouldn't have to do what we're doing today. But we're doing it because, you know, we want you know, we want change.
“And this is why as a family, we will not stop fighting for justice until there is accountability from the police department.
“It’s bigger than just the individual roles that the officer has played. It speaks to leadership within these forces.
“How officers are being trained in their attitudes that have to shift. It's just unacceptable in this modern day era that we live in, that this is still going on
“This disproportionate use of force affects black and ethnic minorities. To me it's just absolutely abhorrent.
“We are deeply, deeply hurt. We're deeply grieved as a family. “It's a situation as a family that ultimately we will never get over.”
An IOPC spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Oladeji Omishore. Our investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is progressing well and our investigators are continuing to gather and analyse key evidence.
"At this stage we have no indication that any of the officers involved may have breached police professional standards or committed a criminal offence, although we keep conduct matters constantly under review.
"We will work to complete the investigation as quickly as possible and we are committed to carrying out a thorough and robust examination of all the evidence. We continue to liaise with Mr Omishore’s family to update them on our progress.”
A spokesperson for Met Police told The Mirror: "We are aware of the request from Inquest for the Commissioner to meet with the family of Oladeji Omishore and we are currently corresponding with the charity."
