Witness appeal after death of man who was pulled from Thames after being Tasered

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the interaction between two Metropolitan Police officers and the 41-year-old.

General view of a Metropolitan Police sign on the side of a BMW London Metropolitan police motorcycle (PA Archive)

A watchdog is appealing for witnesses after the death of a man who was pulled from the River Thames after being Tasered on Chelsea Bridge.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the interaction between two Metropolitan Police officers and the 41-year-old man, who had a screwdriver and was reported to have been shouting.

Footage shared widely on social media showed one of the officers using a Taser on him a number of times, before the man, who lived locally, ran to the edge of the bridge and appeared to jump over the railing shortly after 9am on Saturday.

He was rescued from the water by the RNLI and taken to hospital, but later died.

While we have footage we would appeal to people to get in touch with us without delay if they saw or recorded any part of the incident

Sal Naseem, IOPC

IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: “Our sympathies are with the family of the man who died and everyone else affected. We have already met with the man’s family to explain our role and we will keep them regularly updated as our inquiries progress.

“We have an independent investigation under way, which is looking at the interaction between officers and the man on the bridge.

“While we have footage we would appeal to people to get in touch with us without delay if they saw or recorded any part of the incident, either on the bridge, after the man came to be in the water, or at Lambeth pier when the man was taken there.

“We would also urge anyone who was on a boat near the bridge at around that time on Saturday morning to contact us.”

Chelsea Bridge, over the River Thames, where the incident took place (PA) (PA Archive)

Anyone with information can contact the IOPC on 0300 3035579 or email chelseabridge@policeconduct.gov.uk.

The IOPC said that investigators have begun examining CCTV and have secured some footage filmed on a phone on the bridge, as well as from police body worn video.

Police officers involved have given their initial accounts of what happened.

A post mortem examination will take place in due course.