An investigation has been launched after a man fell to his death from a balcony when he was Tasered by police following an hour-long standoff.
Officers from the Metropolitan police were called to a block of flats in Peckham, south London last week in an attempt to save the man’s life.
Police received a call showing concern for the man’s welfare, amid reports he was threatening to jump.
The incident is under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). No discipline notices have been issued by the police watchdog, with officers currently being treated as witnesses.
Investigators have been unable to confirm the man’s next of kin and identity, and inquiries continue. A spokesperson for the Met said the man was thought to be black.
The IOPC said it had been told officers were called early morning last Wednesday to the block of flats, with the man reportedly threatening to jump from the balcony. At some point he fell and suffered serious injuries. He later died in hospital.
Investigators are studying video from body-worn cameras that will help determine whether the the stun gun that was fired hit the man, how many times it was fired and whether it connected sufficiently for a 50,000-volt shock to pass through his body.
The stun guns themselves also contain data about how many times they were fired, and for how long. The IOPC’s statement seems to suggest the man jumped after being hit by the weapon, while the Met’s statement does not.
The IOPC said: “We have begun an independent investigation into an incident involving Metropolitan Police Service officers on Wednesday April 12 in south-east 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.
“Our investigation is in its initial stages and we have secured officers’ body-worn footage as we begin gathering evidence.”
DCS Seb Adjei-Addoh, in charge of policing for Lambeth and Southwark, said: “I know the community will be concerned about this tragic death and I share their concern. 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.”
The Met added: “Police were called at 01.24 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.
“Inquiries are under way to identify the man’s next of kin. Formal identification and a postmortem 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.”
