Rashan Charles inquest: Witness 'tried to help'

Rashan Charles died after being apprehended by police in Dalston

A member of the public put his finger down the throat of a man who was being detained by police in an effort to help him, an inquest has heard.

Rashan Charles, 20, died in hospital after police chased him into a shop in Dalston, east London, in the early hours of 22 July 2017.

Footage from the store shows him putting a package into his mouth.

The man, known as Witness 1, told an inquest jury he wanted to assist both the police and Mr Charles.

The police officer rushed into the store and grabbed Mr Charles from behind before trying to restrain him, St Pancras Coroners Court heard.

'Just relax'

The pair fell to the floor and Witness 1, who has been granted anonymity, helped to keep Mr Charles still by putting his knee on his legs.

Giving evidence on day two of the inquest, he described a chaotic scene as he walked into the convenience store between 01:30 and 01:45 BST.

Footage of the incident played to the court showed the witness pinching Mr Charles's nose and placing a finger in his mouth and shouting to onlookers for anything, "even a chocolate bar", to help wedge open his mouth.

The video footage also shows him telling Mr Charles to "just relax".

The coroner, Mary Hassell, apologised for showing "distressing" footage to the jury

Witness 1, who had received a day of emergency medical training several years earlier, said he was trying to make sure Mr Charles could breathe, and added: "I offered my assistance to defuse any tension between the two [Mr Charles and the police officer]."

"I wanted to assist both. It was not mainly for the police officer, it was also to assist Rashan," he said.

He told the inquest: "I just wanted to show Rashan I am also there to help him and let the officer know that as well as assisting you, I am also there to protect Rashan should you get heavy handed with him."

Paramedics later removed a package from Mr Charles's mouth.

An initial investigation conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found the package contained a mixture of caffeine and paracetamol.

The inquest continues.