The Metropolitan Police has been cleared of misconduct over the death of Sean Rigg, a 40-year-old musician with schizophrenia who died after being restrained at Brixton Police Station in August 2008. A misconduct panel found that none of the allegations against five officers were proved.
The officers—PCs Andrew Birks, Richard Glasson, Matthew Forward, Mark Harratt and Sgt Paul White—had faced disciplinary proceedings over the arrest and detention of Mr Rigg. He was arrested in Balham after being seen aiming karate kicks at members of the public, and was restrained in the prone position for more than seven minutes before suffering a fatal heart attack.
Mr Rigg's sister, Marcia Rigg-Samuel, said the decision gave police a 'licence to kill', vowing to continue her fight for justice. However, Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball denied this claim, stating the force had fully scrutinised all the facts and apologised for his death.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission initially found police acted 'reasonably and proportionately', but a 2012 inquest jury concluded that 'unsuitable and unnecessary force' was used. No criminal charges were brought against the officers, and Sgt White was acquitted of perjury in 2016.
The Rigg family's solicitor, Daniel Machover, criticised the delay of over a decade, calling it 'scandalous' and blaming the IOPC's failings. The Police Federation has called for a one-year time limit on disciplinary proceedings to prevent prolonged stress on officers.
