A 59-year-old man died in hospital after being detained by police at his home in Bootle on Monday. Officers attended an address on Southport Road shortly before 12:24pm and detained the man under the Misuse of Drugs Act. During the interaction, he collapsed and became unconscious.
Police administered CPR and called an ambulance. The man was taken to hospital but died an hour later. The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has launched an independent investigation.
An IOPC spokesperson said the man became unwell after being approached by police and appeared to have difficulty breathing. Investigators are gathering evidence including witness statements and footage of the interaction. A post-mortem has been carried out and findings are awaited.
Merseyside Police offered condolences to the man's family. Neighbours reported seeing officers performing CPR on a driveway before the man was taken to hospital. One resident said: 'I didn't see what happened but I saw the police get here and they took the man away in an ambulance.' The inquest has not yet been opened.
