Rashan Charles death: Father-of-one did not swallow drugs before dying in police custody, watchdog reveals

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The young man who died after being wrestled to the floor by a police officer following a chase in east London had not swallowed drugs, the police watchdog has claimed.

Rashan Charles, 20, was pronounced dead in hospital after being apprehended in a shop in Dalston on July 22 – sparking both peaceful and violent protests.

CCTV footage of the incident appeared to show him swallowing an object as he ran into the shop at around 1.45am.

The images then show him being grabbed by the officer who wrestles him to the floor, with the pair struggling for at least a minute.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said on Wednesday evening that the object “did not contain a controlled substance”.

A statement form the watchdog read: “The IPCC’s investigation into the circumstances of Rashan Charles’ death following contact with police in Hackney on 22 July is ongoing and making good progress. Our independent investigation is thoroughly examining all aspects of police interaction with Rashan prior to his death and has already undertaken a large number of investigative actions.

“The IPCC has now received results of forensic analysis of an object that was removed from Rashan’s airway by paramedics. The object did not contain a controlled substance.”

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