Watchdog finds police use of force was reasonable prior to death of Derbyshire detainee
Chad Allford lost consciousness shortly after being detained in Alfreton in 2021
Last updated 25th Oct 2024
An investigation by the police watchdog has found that police officers in Derbyshire used reasonable force to restrain a man and try to prevent him swallowing drugs, before he later died in hospital.
Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it found no evidence that officers caused or contributed to the death of 23-year-old Chad Allford who lost consciousness shortly after being detained on suspicion of drugs related offences at a property in Morewood Drive, Alfreton, on 27 October 2021.
However the investigation did provide feedback around performance for three constables who did not activate their body worn video (BWV) prior to entering the property, and a sergeant over his acquisition of keys to the house during a stop and search carried out on the occupants of a car nearby.
A four-day inquest at Chesterfield ended yesterday with the jury concluding Mr Allford died by misadventure after deliberately placing cocaine in mouth, which had unintentionally led to his death.
The IOPC’s investigation, which ended in December 2022, followed a mandatory referral from Derbyshire Constabulary after Mr Allford’s death and a subsequent complaint about officers’ use of force during the incident.
Evidence indicated that as officers entered the house Mr Allford was seen to put a quantity of white powder into his mouth, believed to be cocaine. The attempted arrest then became a medical emergency, with officers using force to try to stop him swallowing the substance.
Body warn cameras activated by officers outside the house showed that Mr Allford was initially conscious and responsive when officers spoke to him. He was placed in the recovery position and encouraged to spit anything out. At the point he became unresponsive police performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and took over.
IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Allford’s family and all of those affected by his tragic death.
“When someone dies either during or following detention it is important that the circumstances are thoroughly and independently investigated. From the evidence we gathered we were satisfied that the force used by officers in trying to arrest and restrain Mr Allford, was necessary, reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances, as was the force used to try to prevent him from ingesting what were believed to be class A drugs.”
The IOPC did decide that three officers who did not activate their body worn video cameras before they entered the house to arrest Mr Allford had not complied with the police body worn video policy and that this could be addressed through the reflective practice review process.
It also found that a sergeant who had conducted a stop search on a third party, had asked for and had taken keys to access the property without fully communicating to them their rights. It was decided that the officer should undergo reflective practice.