A 45-year-old man has died in south London after police were called to reports of a child being assaulted.
The Met Police said it had made a referral to the police watchdog over the incident shortly before 1.30am on South Norwood’s High Street after being called to reports of a child being assaulted.
Officers said when they arrived they encountered a 45-year-old man suffering a “medical emergency”, saying he was in an “agitated” state and “actively resisting” police.
He was restrained and paramedics were called.
When paramedics arrived, he was transported to an ambulance where he became “seriously unwell”, Scotland Yard said.
The man later died in hospital. His next-of-kin have been informed.
The force said it had made a mandatory referral to the police watchdog over the incident, which is a compulsory step when someone dies after contact with police.
Met Commander Andy Brittain said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who has died. We will ensure they are fully supported.
“I know the community in South Norwood will want to be reassured that the incident was handled appropriately. The IOPC is conducting an investigation to provide that independent scrutiny.
“We must also acknowledge the impact that incidents like this have on the officers involved.
“In this case they were responding to an emergency call involving a child in danger and on arrival at the scene, were met with a very challenging situation.
“No officer ever wants to be involved in an incident where someone loses their life and we will ensure they get all the support they need.”
