Inquiry after Tasered man dies falling from balcony

The Met said officers know their actions would be "scrutinised in situations such as these"

The police watchdog has begun an inquiry into the death of man who fell from a balcony at a residential block in south-east London after being Tasered by Met Police officers.

The watchdog said it had been told officers were responding to reports of a man threatening to jump on 12 April.

For more than an hour, the Met officers tried to persuade him to come inside, the watchdog was told by the force.

He was then Tasered by an officer and fell to the ground, the watchdog said.

He was taken to hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The officer who Tasered the man was on the balcony during the incident, in Peckham, which happened several floors up in the block and in the early hours, the IOPC said.

Body-worn footage

A mandatory referral was made by the Met Police to the independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Officers are trying to identify the man's next of kin, while formal identification and a post-mortem examination are set to take place at a later date.

"We received a mandatory referral from the force and declared an independent investigation the next day," a spokesperson said.

"Our investigation is in its initial stages and we have secured officers' body-worn footage as we begin gathering evidence."

Det Ch Supt Seb Adjei-Addoh, in charge of Met policing for Lambeth and Southwark, said: "I know the community will be concerned about this tragic death and I share their concern.

"All police officers know that their actions will be scrutinised in situations such as these, and the Met is fully supporting the independent investigation by the IOPC."

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