Probe into death of Walsall man who collapsed in police cell finds officers acted appropriately
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that a Walsall man who died in police custody was dealt with in an appropriate manner by officers.
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Luke Anthony Barratt, aged 34, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in the Walsall area shortly after 1am on August 19, 2023, after police followed him to the driveway of his partner’s home.
The IOPC said following his arrival at Bloxwich Police Station he became unwell and then unresponsive in a cell. An ambulance was called and he was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital shortly before 4am, but he died later the same morning.
West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedics recovered a small plastic bag from his airway, which suggested that drugs may have been ingested at some point, and a postmortem report found that he had died due to the effects of cocaine and heart disease.
On Thursday, following a four-day jury inquest at the Black Country Coroner’s Court in Oldbury, a coroner returned a conclusion that Mr Barratt’s death was drug-related.
