Man who died ‘after being Tasered by police and falling into river’ pictured

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation into the incident after Met officers confronted a man, aged 41, on Chelsea Bridge before he fell into the River Thames

A man who died after being tasers by police officers in west London before jumping into the Thames has been named and pictured.

Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore passed away in hospital on Monday after two Met officers confronted him on Saturday morning after being called to Chelsea Bridge.

The force had received reports of a man “armed with a screwdriver and shouting”.

The 41-year-old, from Pimlico, central London, was “challenged” by the responders before a Taser was used but this “did not enable officers to safely detain him”.

He was described as shouting at passersby and muttering “incomprehensible” religious statements for several minutes before police arrived.

The officers are said to have tasered him three times on the bridge before he climbed over the railings and dropped into the river.

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The Met has referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which has launched an investigation.

Officers were searching his fourth floor flat in Pimlico on Monday.

A witness who lives near the bridge said the man was swept beyond Vauxhall Bridge before being pulled out of the water by the RNLI at Lambeth Pier.

She told the Daily Mail: “There was a large man, who looked to be over 6ft tall, shouting at people in the street by the bridge.

“He was clearly in a distressed state and was brandishing something.”

She described how “because of his size they tried to subdue him” with a Taser but failed to incapacitate him.

“Instead he managed to run off, leap a barrier and jumped into the river. It was awful to see.”

The woman said he was “bobbing around struggling to breath” and struggled to swim due to the strong tide before being rescued.

A neighbour told the newspaper Mr Omishore suffered from mental health problems and had smashed windows to the block entrance before.

In a statement, the IOPC said: “Police approached the 41-year-old man on the bridge shortly after 9am on Saturday (4 June) while responding to reports of a disturbance. A Taser was deployed by one of the officers prior to the man entering the river.

“The man, who lived locally, was rescued from the water after the arrival of a Royal National Lifeboat Institution vessel and taken to Lambeth pier where first aid was given by ambulance staff. He was taken to hospital but sadly died there on Saturday evening.

“After we were notified by the MPS on Saturday we sent investigators to the scene and to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.

“Our investigators have carried out a CCTV trawl, and have secured some mobile footage filmed on the bridge as well as police body-worn video footage. Initial accounts have been provided by officers involved, and the Taser that was deployed has been gathered for analysis. IOPC investigators have also overseen forensic examination of the scene.

“HM Coroner has been informed and a post mortem examination will take place in due course.”

Commander Alexis Boon, of the Met’s Frontline Policing, said: “My thoughts are with the family of the man at this very difficult time. I offer my sincere condolences to them for their tragic loss.

“Officers go to work every day to keep the public safe, and so any incident in which a person comes to harm following contact with police is understandably concerning.

“Our officers face some of the most challenging and difficult situations daily, in doing so they are fully aware that their actions should rightly be subject to public scrutiny.

“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards made an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following this sad incident, and we will co-operate fully with them as they work to understand the full circumstances.”

Footage from the incident appears to show an officer firing a Taser causing the man to fall to the floor.

IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem said his colleagues have met with the man’s family to explain its role.

He added that the independent investigation is looking at the interaction between the officers and the man.

Mr Naseem appealed for anyone with footage or who was on a boat or near the bridge at the time to get in touch.

Anyone with information can contact the IOPC on 0300 3035579 or email [email protected] as soon as possible.