Man Who Was Tasered by Police and Entered River Thames Dies in Hospital

A man who was tasered by the Metropolitan Police and had entered the Thames River from Chelsea Bridge in west London has died in hospital.Police officers were called to Chelsea Bridge Road at 9 am on Saturday to report of a disturbance. A man, who was believed to be in his 40s, was reportedly armed with a screwdriver. The man had been shouting.The man was challenged by police officers on the bridge. Officers had then tasered the man but the Met Police said this "did not enable the officers to safely detain him". They also said the man "subsequently entered the river".

The RNLI rescued the man and he was taken to the hospital.Video footage of the alleged incident emerged on social media. The footage shows the man being tasered by police and him writhing on the ground. He appears to climb the barrier and jump into the Thames whilst police officers chase him.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said that an independent inquiry into the incident is now underway. The IOPC said it is "investigating contact" that Met Police officers had with the man prior to him entering the river.The IOPC said: "We were notified by the Metropolitan Police on Saturday and sent investigators to the scene and to the police post-incident procedure to begin our investigation.

Initial information indicates that officers were responding to reports of a disturbance when they encountered the man on the bridge. During the incident, Taser was deployed."They continued: "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."IOPC director Steve Noonan said: "We have spoken to the man's family to express our sincere condolences and explain our involvement. Our sympathies remain with them at this terrible time. Our independent investigation is underway into the police actions at the bridge and we have begun gathering and reviewing evidence."