Man who fell into River Thames after being Tasered by police dies

Police watchdog says the man in his early 40s died in hospital

A man has died after he was Tasered by police and fell from Chelsea Bridge into the River Thames.

Officers were called to reports a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting at the location just after 9am on Saturday.

The IOPC, the police watchdog, said the man aged in his early 40s had died in hospital, and that an independent inquiry was under way.

Footage posted to social media reportedly of the incident shows a man in a confrontation with police.

An officer fires a Taser at him and he falls to the floor before attempting to get up. He is then Tasered a second time and also a third time as he tries to pull himself up from the road.

The man then gets to his feet, runs away from the officers and hurdles a barrier before falling into the Thames. An RNLI crew was scrambled to rescue the man and he was rushed to hospital, where he died.

Met Police confirmed the man’s family have been informed of his death.

The IOPC said: “We are investigating contact Metropolitan Police officers had with a man on Chelsea Bridge yesterday morning [Saturday] prior to him entering the River Thames. He was subsequently rescued from the water and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. The man, in his early 40s, sadly died in hospital on Saturday evening.

“Investigators have secured police body-worn video footage and initial accounts have been obtained from the officers involved. The Taser used has also been gathered and will be analysed. Investigators have overseen forensic examination of the scene.”

Met Commander Alexis Boon said: “My thoughts are with the family of the man at this very difficult time. I offer my sincere condolences to them for their tragic loss.

“Officers go to work every day to keep the public safe, and so any incident in which a person comes to harm following contact with police is understandably concerning.

“Our officers face some of the most challenging and difficult situations daily, in doing so they are fully aware that their actions should rightly be subject to public scrutiny.

“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards made an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following this sad incident, and we will cooperate fully with them as they work to understand the full circumstances.”