An inquest jury found today that a catalogue of failures may have contributed to the death in police custody of a man after he was pepper-sprayed by officers.
Jacob Michael died on August 22 2011 aged 25 following arrest and restraint by police. He had called the police himself in an agitated state after telling his family he had been threatened. When officers arrived at the house they forced their way into his bedroom, spraying pepper spray at him, whereupon Mr Michael ran out of the house and down the street.The police pursued him, striking him with batons and restraining him before putting him in the back of a police van to take him into custody at Runcorn police station.
Campaign group Inquest co-director Deborah Coles said: “Yet again, another inquest into a death following use of force has found failures at an individual and senior management level and those responsible must be held to account.
