The family of a mentally ill man who died after being restrained by police have called for lessons to be learned.
Nine Met officers are being investigated for possible gross misconduct by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the death of Kevin Clarke, 35.
He was found on March 9 in an “agitated state” in the grounds of St Dunstan’s College, an independent school in Catford. Police restrained him before calling paramedics, amid concerns he was in a “mental health crisis”. He was taken to Lewisham Hospital where he died later that day.
Today, his family said they were “reeling” from the announcement that nine officers were under investigation. They were all involved in the incident, but did not necessarily physically restrain Mr Clarke.
In a statement the family said: “We feel vindicated that everyone who dealt with Kevin in his final minutes will be interviewed to explain their actions. Yet we’re shocked to the core to learn that the police felt it necessary to use the force of nine officers to restrain one unwell man.”
They added that Mr Clarke must have been “petrified” and said: “The very fact the police called an ambulance for Kevin tells us that they knew he was unwell and potentially experiencing a mental health episode. So we’re struggling to understand the reason for such an excessive response.” They said they hope the IOPC report will lead to changes in how police treat vulnerable people.
Mr Clarke’s mother Wendy previously told how her son, who lived in supported accommodation nearby and coached children in football, was tasered by police in 2015 while being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. She said he later feared “police would kill him”.
An inquest into Mr Clarke’s death was opened and adjourned on March 28.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. An IOPC spokesman said: “Actions taken to restrain Mr Clarke may be in breach of police professional standards and may amount to gross misconduct... this does not necessarily mean misconduct proceedings will follow.”
