No misconduct from Met PCs in man's bridge death

The police watchdog has decided that two Met Police officers should not face disciplinary proceedings after a man was repeatedly Tasered and then jumped from Chelsea Bridge and later died.

Oladeji Omishore, 41, who died on 4 June 2022, had been experiencing a relapse in mental health problems when PC Humphrey Tackie-Yarboi discharged his Taser at him five times.

An inquest jury at Inner West London Coroners Court could not conclude the actions of officers probably caused his death.

Following the conclusion of the inquest, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it found no indication officers had behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings or had committed a criminal offence.

PC Tackie-Yarboi had told the inquest that he believed he was dealing with a terrorist attack, after being told a man was waving a weapon and shouting religious remarks.

It was later discovered that Mr Omishore, who was known as Deji, was carrying a plastic and metal firelighter, not a weapon.

During the hearing the jury was played a series of 999 calls made by members of the public, who reported they had seen a man who may have been carrying a knife or a screwdriver and had been shouting "religious things".

Several callers also expressed concern for his mental health, but the court was told that this information was not passed on to PC Tackie-Yarboi and his colleague PC Ben Tugwell who responded.

The jury found it was possible that the failure to pass on those details to the officers may have had an impact on the sequence of events that contributed to Mr Omishore's death.

They concluded the cause of his death was complications arising from drowning.

Coroner Professor Fiona Wilcox said she would issue a prevention of future deaths report raising concerns over Taser training and the failure to communicate the information.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Omishore's sister Aisha Omishore said the family were disappointed with the inquest findings.

"There were serious questions to be answered in this case - concerning how the police deal with people with mental health issues, their training, and the emphasis placed on the use of force including Tasers.

"None of that, in our view, has been properly explored nor reflected in the conclusion," she said.

Mr Omishore was described in court as a "kind and gentle soul" by his father Alfred, who said his son had recently been reunited with his family after overcoming a drug addiction and undergoing treatment at a psychiatric hospital.

The charity Inquest, which supported Mr Omishore's family, criticised the officers for "not attempting to de-escalate" the situation on the bridge.

Senior caseworker, Selen Cavcav, said the case "encapsulates all that is wrong with our policing response that views Black men in mental health crisis as a threat requiring a violent response rather than care and support".

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said it had been "a fast-paced and distressing incident for the officers" and that its investigation found the decision to Taser Mr Omishore was not "unnecessary or disproportionate" and had been based on "non-discriminatory reasons".

The IOPC also investigated the officers for failing to cooperate as witnesses, but decided this was not serious enough to justify disciplinary proceedings and recommended that they face a reflective practice review process.

The Met's Ch Supt Christina Jessah said it was "a very sad case" and the officers "had genuine concerns Mr Omishore posed a threat to the safety of those around him".

She said the Met would consider the coroner's comments and respond to them in due course.

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