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IPCC calls in City of London police for Ian Tomlinson investigation

Independent Police Complaints Commission opens investigation into killing of Ian Tomlinson.
Not a word of contrition from the "hang 'em and flog 'em" media for the slurs against protesters, but the pressure has paid off ... so far. And whatever the outcome of the 'IPCC-managed' investigation of the police into the police, we are going to need a full public inquiry.

The IPCC press release in full:

06/04/2009


For Immediate Release

PR 1487 IPCC managing investigation into death of Ian Tomlinson

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is managing an investigation by City of London Police into the circumstances of police contact with Ian Tomlinson, who died near to the G20 protests on Wednesday 1 April 2009. This decision will be kept under review as the investigation progresses.

Mr Tomlinson’s death was referred to the IPCC on 1 April, following which IPCC investigators have looked at many hours of CCTV, examined statements and police records and spoken to independent witnesses. A post mortem carried out by a Home Office pathologist on Friday evening revealed that Mr Tomlinson died of a heart attack.

IPCC Commissioner for London Deborah Glass said:

“Initially we had accounts from independent witnesses who were on Cornhill, who told us that there had been no contact between the police and Mr Tomlinson when he collapsed. However, other witnesses who saw him in the Royal Exchange area have since told us that Mr Tomlinson did have contact with police officers. This would have been a few minutes before he collapsed. It is important that we are able to establish as far as possible whether that contact had anything to do with his death.”

Just after 7pm on 1 April, Mr Tomlinson can be seen on CCTV walking up King William Street and approaching a police cordon opposite the Bank of England. It is believed he wanted to get through the cordon to continue his walk home from work. Police officers refused to let him through.

A short time later, Mr Tomlinson can be seen on CCTV walking around the corner into Royal Exchange Passage. A number of witnesses have described seeing him there, getting caught up in a crowd and being pushed back by police officers. This is the aspect of the incident that the IPCC is now investigating.

Minutes later he is seen on CCTV walking back onto Cornhill from Royal Exchange Passage.

Mr Tomlinson walks for about three more minutes, before collapsing on Cornhill. The CCTV shows that Mr Tomlinson was not trapped inside a police cordon at any stage.

Several members of the public state that they tried to help Mr Tomlinson. Others reported the incident to nearby police officers. CCTV shows police officers forming a cordon around him near a group of protesters so that the police medics could give first aid.

They then carried Mr Tomlinson on a stretcher through the Cornhill / Birchin Lane cordon and continued first aid. An ambulance then arrived and he was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Witness Appeal

Commissioner Deborah Glass continued: “The investigation is continuing to look through CCTV footage to see whether the incident inside Royal Exchange Passage has been captured and we already have a number of witness accounts from the area. However, I would ask anyone else who saw Mr Tomlinson at about 7.20 p.m. or who may have taken a photo of him around that time to contact us so that we can build up a full picture of what happened.”

Anybody who saw Mr Tomlinson in Royal Exchange Square is asked to contact the IPCC on 0800-096 9071 or email Tomlinson@ipcc.gov.uk.

Ends
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