Rashan Charles: Inquest into death of young black man who died after police chase opens

CCTV footage of officer struggling with youth on shop floor emerged after incident on 22 July that sparked riots in Dalston, north east London

Rashan Charles (Facebook)

An inquest into the death of a young black man who died after being chased by police will start today.

Rashan Charles, 20, whose death on 22 July sparked protests and violent clashes with officers in north east London, was seen running into a shop on Kingsland Road, Dalston, where he was apprehended by a member of the Metropolitan Police.

CCTV appeared to show the officer struggling with Charles on the shop floor, following an attempted vehicle stop moments before.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation into his death has so far shown that, after he was detained, attempts were made to remove an object from his mouth or throat.

It was later revealed that a package removed from his throat contained a mixture of caffeine and paracetamol.

Charles was taken to the Royal London Hospital in nearby Whitechapel, but pronounced dead at 2.55am.

No cause of death has yet been determined.

Mr Charles's family have previously expressed concerns over the “openness and transparency” of the IPCC investigation into his death.

In a statement released by Bhatt Murphy solicitors on August 4, the family stressed their single objective “is to establish what happened to Rashan, and to do this using all lawful means available”.

PA