IPCC to re-examine custody death of Sean Rigg as review criticises initial investigation

Police officers who used “unsuitable force” to restrain a schizophrenic man who died in custody face further scrutiny after a review criticised the police watchdog for failures in its initial investigation.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will re-examine whether the five officers involved in the arrest and detention of Sean Rigg, a 40-year-old musician who died shortly after being arrested, five years ago, were guilty of misconduct. Its initial investigation, which found that “officers adhered to policy and good practice”, was criticised for a number of shortfalls in a review published today.

Rigg, who lived in south London, was arrested in 2008 for assaulting a police officer, public disorder and theft of a passport, which turned out to be his own. He died in Brixton Police Station of a cardiac arrest.

The review was set up by the IPCC after an inquest jury ruled that officers had used “unsuitable force” to restrain Rigg and found that the eight minutes he was held down in the prone position “more than minimally” contributed to his death. Officers were accused of lying to the jury to “cover up” their mistakes.