Watchdog facing legal action threat after Chelsea Bridge death

The family of a man who died after being tasered by police and then jumping from Chelsea Bridge have threatened legal action against a police watchdog.

Relatives of Oladeji Omishore want a judicial review of the decision by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) not to hold a criminal or misconduct investigation into his death.

Mr Omishore, 41, died after a confrontation with two Metropolitan Police officers on June 4, who had been called when he was seen shouting and holding up a lighter on the bridge in west London.

The family said in a statement issued through the charity Inquest: “Deji was only a few moments’ walk from his home and appears to have been vulnerable and frightened.

“The two Metropolitan Police officers who confronted him used repeated force on him which we consider was excessive and unjustified.

“We want those officers to explain why they did not use their training to de-escalate the situation and safeguard Deji, instead of taking the actions that led to his tragic death.”

They are trying to crowdfund the legal action through the Crowd Justice website https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice-for-oladeji-omishore/

Deborah Coles, Director of Inquest, said: “It is vital that conduct or criminal investigations are commenced urgently after a death to ensure scrutiny is thorough and that officers are rightly treated as subjects of investigations, not just witnesses.

“This is an issue which has impacted bereaved families for years.

“This legal action from the Omishore family is an important step in challenging this systemic issue in the investigation of deaths in police contact.”

An IOPC spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Oladeji Omishore.

“We have received correspondence from the family’s legal representatives today which is being carefully considered.

“During any investigation we keep conduct matters under constant review and take decisions based on the evidence available.

“At this stage we have no indication that any of the officers involved may have breached police professional standards or committed a criminal offence.

“This will be kept under review during the investigation.

“We will work to complete the investigation as quickly as possible and we are carrying out a thorough and robust examination of all the evidence.

“We are committed to keeping Mr Omishore’s family updated.”