Family pays tribute to ‘bubbly’ labourer who drowned during attempted arrest
Liam Allan’s relatives left ‘broken’ by his death after he entered water in Kingston
A 23-year-old who drowned in the River Thames while being arrested has been named as a “bubbly” labourer.
Liam Allan went into the water near Bill’s restaurant on Riverside Walk in Kingston, southwest London, just after 10.30pm on Friday.
His body was pulled from the river two hours later, when paramedics attempted CPR before pronouncing him dead.
Police officers had earlier been flagged down on Kingston Bridge about a verbal altercation involving a man and a woman and an allegation of theft.
Mr Allan’s family told MyLondon he had been drinking but they believed he was “calm” while talking to police.
The Metropolitan Police said Mr Allan was not handcuffed at any point.
The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation into the case and officers’ body-worn camera footage is under review.
Mr Allan’s father, James Allan, said he had been “broken” by his son’s death.
He told MyLondon: “He was just so bubbly. He would talk to anyone. He would do anything for anyone.
“He was a little git sometimes, he was no angel, he had his tellings off, but he had a good heart.
“He would give someone his last pound, and he often did. I was with him in Hounslow once and he gave a homeless bloke some money. Considering he did not have a lot himself.”
He said the young labourer had left behind his brother Tyler, 14, sister Jessica, five, as well as a brother and two sisters on his mother’s side.
The father also revealed his son had worked in construction but had “big dreams” of becoming a musician.
Mr Allan’s brother Ethan, 17, said: “He wanted to try and make a name for himself with his rapping. It was one of his dreams to become big in music.”
He added: “He would always be the first one I call if I needed help. If I was in trouble he would always be there to scare them away and make me feel comfortable. He would always save the day.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up in Mr Allan’s memory to help pay for funeral costs.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “My thoughts, and those of the Metropolitan Police Service, are with the friends and family of the man who has sadly lost his life following this incident.
“I fully appreciate the public will be very concerned. We of course share that concern.
“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards made an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as is protocol in any incident in which a person comes to harm following police contact. We will fully support the IOPC’s investigation.”
The IOPC said: “Officers attended an altercation involving the man, 24, and a woman at around 10.30pm on Friday (26 August).
“They made the decision to arrest the man who then entered the water. He had not been placed in handcuffs.
“The man was recovered from the water at around 12.30am and sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
“IOPC investigators attended the police post-incident procedures to obtain initial accounts from the officers involved.
“We have now begun the process of gathering and reviewing evidence, including footage of the interaction between officers and the man. Our thoughts are with the man’s loved ones and all those affected by his death.”
The Metropolitan Police added in a statement: “At around 10.30pm on Friday 26 August, police on routine patrol were flagged down on Kingston Bridge to a verbal altercation involving a man and a woman who were known to each other. An allegation of theft was made.
“Officers were in the process of arresting the man, believed to be aged in his 20s, when he entered the water. He had not been placed in handcuffs.
“A multi-agency response to locate the man was launched, involving the Met’s Marine Policing Unit, National Police Air Service, London Fire Brigade and the RNLI.
“The man was recovered from the water at around 00.30am and treated by paramedics. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead. The man’s family have been informed.”