UPDATE: Investigation into Metropolitan Police officers’ contact with Edir (Edson) Da Costa

10 Oct 2017 01:52 PM

The IPCC investigation launched following an incident in East London on 15 June involving Edir Frederico Da Costa is making good progress.

Mr Da Costa died following contact with officers from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in Newham. At a post mortem examination on June 22, a number of packages were removed from Mr Da Costa’s throat. The pathologist has not yet determined Mr Da Costa’s cause of death

Since the opening of the investigation, key witness statements from police officers, medical staff and members of the public have been collected, as has video footage including body worn video footage of the first aid administered to Mr Da Costa.

IPCC investigators are set to formally notify five MPS officers that the level of care they provided Mr Da Costa during restraint and after he became unwell may have constituted misconduct.

The IPCC is now investigating this potential misconduct - however the serving of misconduct notices on officers does not indicate guilt, or mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow.

Tom Milsom, IPCC Associate Commissioner, said: “We are very aware of the community concerns following the death of Mr Da Costa.

“So as well as providing regular updates to the family and communicating with the officers involved, we will, when appropriate, also inform the wider community about the progress of our independent investigation.”