Two Met police officers under criminal investigation after death of man in custody

Two Met cops are under criminal investigation after the death of a man in custody.

Mikias Tekeste, 30, was arrested by officers in Croydon town centre on the afternoon of July 15 this year and taken to the Croydon Custody Centre in Windmill Road.

Later that evening, custody staff noticed he appeared unwell. First aid was given in custody by a medical professional and an ambulance was requested.

Paramedics arrived minutes later and Mr Tekeste was taken to hospital, where he sadly died the same night.

Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigators have viewed CCTV from inside the police van that transported Mr Tekeste to custody following his arrest, and have determined that two officers who were in the vehicle may have failed to appropriately supervise Mr Tekeste during this time.

As a result, the watchdog has advised two police constables that they are being criminally investigated for the potential offence of gross negligence manslaughter.

The officers are also being investigated for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct.

But the decision does not mean that criminal charges or disciplinary proceedings will necessarily follow.

A post-mortem was completed and the watchdog said it was waiting on further results, including a toxicology report. A date for the opening of the inquest is yet to be set.

IOPC regional director Mel Palmer said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of Mikias Tekeste. Our investigators have met with his family to inform them of this update.

“We are continuing to piece together the circumstances leading up to Mr Tekeste’s death, and we are reviewing the actions of MPS staff, beginning from his arrest in Croydon, to his transport to and subsequent detention in the custody suite. We have found no evidence of any inappropriate use of force during this period.

“At the end of our investigation we will decide whether to refer a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision, and also determine whether any MPS staff should face disciplinary proceedings.”

A spokesman for the Met said: “On CCTV footage from inside the vehicle that has been reviewed following Mr Tekeste’s death, he can be seen to remove items from his clothing before swallowing them.

“Later that evening he was found unwell in his cell. He was given first aid and an ambulance was called. He was taken to hospital where, despite the best efforts of medical teams, he sadly died.

“[IOPC] have confirmed that their investigation has not identified any inappropriate police use of force.

“The launching of an investigation is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing, however the officers will remain on restricted duties while the investigation is carried out.”

Pictured top: The Croydon Custody Centre in Windmill Road (Picture: Hahnchen/Wikimedia Commons)