Police use of force was ‘reasonable’ prior to death of Derbyshire detainee, says IOPC
An investigation has found that Derbyshire Constabulary officers used “reasonable force” to restrain a man and try to prevent him swallowing drugs, before he later died in hospital.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it found no evidence that officers caused or contributed to the death of 23-year-old Chad Allford who lost consciousness shortly after being detained on suspicion of drugs related offences at a property in Alfreton on October 27, 2021.
However the investigation did provide feedback around performance for three constables who did not activate their body-worn video (BWV) prior to entering the property, and a sergeant over his acquisition of keys to the house during a stop and search carried out on the occupants of a car nearby.
A four-day inquest at Chesterfield ended on Thursday (October 24) with the jury concluding Mr Allford died by misadventure after deliberately placing cocaine in mouth, which had unintentionally led to his death.
The IOPC’s investigation, which ended in December 2022, followed a mandatory referral from Derbyshire Constabulary after Mr Allford’s death and a subsequent complaint about officers’ use of force during the incident.
“Evidence we gathered indicated that as officers entered the house Mr Allford was seen to put a quantity of white powder into his mouth, believed to be cocaine,” the IOPC said. “The attempted arrest then became a medical emergency, with officers using force to try to stop him swallowing the substance.
“BWV activated by officers outside the house showed that Mr Allford was initially conscious and responsive when officers spoke to him. He was placed in the recovery position and encouraged to spit anything out. At the point he became unresponsive police performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and took over.”
IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Allford’s family and all of those affected by his tragic death.
“When someone dies either during or following detention it is important that the circumstances are thoroughly and independently investigated.
“From the evidence we gathered we were satisfied that the force used by officers in trying to arrest and restrain Mr Allford, was necessary, reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances, as was the force used to try to prevent him from ingesting what were believed to be Class A drugs.”
The IOPC decided that three officers who did not activate their BWV cameras before they entered the house to arrest Mr Allford had not complied with the police BWV policy and that this could be addressed through the reflective practice review process.
It also found that a sergeant who had conducted a stop search on a third party, had asked for and had taken keys to access the property without fully communicating to them their rights. Again it was decided that the officer should undergo reflective practice.
“During our investigation we reviewed police BWV footage and obtained statements from the officers present and independent witnesses. We also considered the pathologist’s report,” the IOPC said.