The death of an autistic man who stopped breathing after being placed in handcuffs “for his own safety” is being investigated by the police watchdog.
Greater Manchester Police were called to Duchy Road, Salford, on Friday 24 July by the family of 28-year-old Ricky Swindells, who said he was experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it would be investigating the “decision-making” of the officers and the “necessity, proportionality and rationale” for handcuffing Swindells.
GMP said it had referred itself to the IOPC and was supporting the investigation, and that its officers had acted to try and “de-escalate” the situation.
The initial results of a post-mortem could not determine the cause of Swindells’ death and further forensic work, including toxicology testing, is ongoing.
The IOPC said it had reviewed body-worn camera footage from the officers involved, which showed them stating he was being restrained “for his own safety”.