The police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who fell from a balcony in southeast London after being Tasered by an officer.
Metropolitan Police officers and paramedics were called to a flat in Peckham early last Wednesday over fears for the welfare of a man who was threatening to jump from the balcony, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Officers arrived at around 2am and remained there for more than an hour trying to persuade him to come inside, before he was Tasered and fell several storeys to the ground, the IOPC said.
The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died later that day. He has not yet been formally identified and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course, Scotland Yard said.
The watchdog is now investigating following a mandatory self-referral by the Met, with Scotland Yard handing over officers’ bodycam footage to those carrying out the independent probe.
“I know the community will be concerned about this tragic death and I share their concern,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, who leads policing for Lambeth and Southwark.
“All police officers know that their actions will be scrutinised in situations such as these, and the Met is fully supporting the independent investigation by the IOPC.”
While the IOPC’s statement appears to suggest that the man fell after being Tasered, the Met’s statement does not indicate the relative timing of the two actions or whether the man was actually hit by the Taser, stating only that it was “discharged by an officer on the balcony”.
An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have begun an independent investigation into an incident involving Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers on Wednesday in southeast London, where a man was seriously injured and later died in hospital after falling from a balcony.
“We were advised that MPS officers attended an address in Peckham at around 2am following a report of a man threatening to jump from a balcony on a residential building.
“We have established that officers were present for over an hour and attempted to persuade the man to come inside from the balcony. The man has then been Tasered while on the balcony and he has fallen several floors to the ground.
“The man was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died later the same day.
“We received a mandatory referral from the force and declared an independent investigation the next day. Our investigation is in its initial stages and we have secured officers’ body worn footage as we begin gathering evidence.”
Scotland Yard said in its statement: “Police were called at 01:24hrs on Wednesday 12 April to concerns for the welfare of a man threatening to jump from the balcony of a residential property in Peckham.
“Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service. The man subsequently fell from the balcony. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and sadly he later died.
“Enquiries are under way to identify the man’s next of kin. Formal identification and a post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course. A Taser was discharged by an officer on the balcony. Body worn video has been reviewed.
“A mandatory referral was made to the IOPC. The IOPC has launched an independent investigation and we are unable to comment further while this takes place.”
