UFFC

19 deaths in or following police custody over last 12 months

police riot shieldall credits: The Justice Gap
published: 30 July 2021

There were 19 deaths in or following police custody last year with 12 of that number of fatalities having been restrained, according to the latest figures from the police watchdog.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct also recorded that there have been 92 other deaths following contact with the police, however deaths are only included in this category when the IOPC has conducted an independent investigation.

The 19 deaths in 2020/21 is a slight increase from last year (18) and is in line with the average figure from the last decade. The charity INQUEST report that since the end of the IOPC statistics reporting period on March 31, there have been a further five deaths in or following police custody and contact.

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UFFC

Deaths in police custody reform, progress update 2021

Police at 10 Downing Street
Image credit http://www.youtube.com

source: GOV.UK
published: 20 July 2021

We are sharing the item below which links to the previous publications on this topic, listed at the end of this article.

The UK Government is committed to delivering meaningful and lasting change to prevent deaths in custody and support families. That is why on 23 July 2015, then Home Secretary Rt Hon Theresa May MP announced a major review of deaths and serious incidents in police custody, focusing on the experience of bereaved families.

This followed the former Home Secretary’s meetings with bereaved families who made clear that the system was not fit for purpose; not only in preventing deaths in police custody,

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UFFC

Dalian Atkinson: PC Benjamin Monk jailed for ex-footballer’s death

Male Prisonersource: BBC News
published: 29 June 2021

A police officer who unlawfully killed Dalian Atkinson by tasering him to the ground and kicking him in the head has been jailed for eight years. PC Benjamin Monk, 43, discharged his taser three times and kicked him twice in the head, leaving bootlace prints on his forehead, his trial heard.

The former Aston Villa striker died after the 2016 stand-off outside his father’s home in Telford, Shropshire. Jurors cleared Monk of an alternative charge of murder on 23 June. He will serve two-thirds of his sentence before being entitled to release on licence.

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