THE INDEPENDENT Police Complaints Commission says it is not pursuing its investigation into the death of a man in police custody in England on Tuesday.
The organisation, which investigates serious complaints made against members of the police in Wales or England, said that a post-mortem showed that the 53-year-old died from stab wounds he received before the police arrived on the scene.
Police were called to the home of Philip Hulme, 53, on Salford Road near Bolton in Greater Manchester by his daughter. She claimed that he had locked himself in the house and had begun stabbing himself.
Police used the Taser to stun Hulme when they could not persuade him to come out of the house. He was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead about thirty minutes later. A spokesperson for the police said that it was only after he was Tasered that police became aware he was suffering a serious stab wound to his abdomen.
In a statement issued today, the IPCC said that it understood that the “full circumstances of the death will be examined at a future inquest”.
Hulme was the third person to die in police custody in England in eight days.
Separately, an investigation is continuing into the death of 27-year-old man in Barrow who was Tasered and arrested by police who were called to an alleged disturbance. He became unwell in police custody and was taken to hospital, where he died.
The IPCC said yesterday that it is appealing for any witnesses to an incident in which a was arrested at a house on Lacey Street, Widnes, on Monday. In the course of arresting Jacob Michael, 25, police used pepper spray and restrained him. Shortly after police brought him to the station, he became unwell and was treated by paramedics. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A post-mortem carried out on Tuesday failed to establish the cause of death and further tests are being carried out.
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