Family of man who jumped in Thames while Tasered by cops watch footage

Family of vulnerable man who died after being Tasered by cops then jumping in Thames reveal they have ‘finally’ been shown police bodycam footage… three months after his death

• Oladeji Omishore died on June 6 – two days after jumping into the River Thames
• His family say they were shown officers’ body-worn footage on Wednesday
• A family statement says the three month wait was ‘cruel’ and unjustified 

The family of a man who died after jumping into the River Thames having been Tasered by police said they have ‘finally’ been shown police body-cam footage of the incident – a ‘cruel’ three months after his death.

Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore died on June 6 – two days after jumping from Chelsea Bridge into the river after police were called to reports of a man ‘armed with a screwdriver and shouting’. 

It was later confirmed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) that 41-year-old Oladeji was in fact holding a firelighter when approached by the police, which relatives said he used to light cigarettes. 

The family have said they were given access to officers’ body-worn footage on Wednesday – but argued there was ‘no justification’ for their wait. 

They said they believed Oladeji was ‘vulnerable and subject to an excessive use of force’ and still believe the use of the Taser was ‘reckless’. 

Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore, 41, was armed with a plastic firelighter when he was Tasered by police, jumped in the River Thames, and later died

In the full statement shared by the charity Inquest, the family said: ‘Yesterday, our family was finally given access to view the body-worn video footage of the officers that encountered our brother Deji on Chelsea Bridge. 

‘This comes more than 3 months after his death. 

‘There is no justification for the wait that families systematically endure to have access to this footage. It’s cruel and deprives families of clarity and closure. We’ve heard reports of cases where access has taken over 18 months! Why?! 

‘From the bystander footage, we can see that Deji was vulnerable and subject to an excessive use of force. 

‘We still consider that the use of Taser was reckless, coercive, and opportunities to de-escalate the situation were gravely missed.’

Police were called to the scene in Chelsea Bridge Road, west London, at 9.03am on June 4 after receiving reports that a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting

The man was in a confrontation with police officers from the Met on Chelsea Bridge on June 4

The statement, shared on a tweet thread, added: ‘The Met Police still has a lot of answering to do.

‘Despite their actions resulting in death, the officers are still on active duty, with no investigation into their conduct. Neither has been interviewed under caution.

‘We are urgently calling for this to change. #justicefordeji.’ 

Two Metropolitan Police officers confronted and Tasered Oladeji on Chelsea Bridge.  

A Met spokesperson said: ‘This was a tragic incident and our sympathies are with Mr Omishore’s family as they continue to come to terms with the loss of their loved one.

‘This matter is subject to an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

‘We are co-operating fully with the IOPC’s investigation and their findings will be released in due course.

‘The officers involved in this incident remain on full duties.

‘Decisions about the status of any officer involved in an incident under investigation are kept under review.’

The IOPC said they can not comment on private meetings with the family or their representatives but issued the following statement regarding their investigation. 

 Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore died on June 6 – two days after jumping from Chelsea Bridge into the River Thames

An IOPC spokesperson said: ‘Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Oladeji Omishore. Our investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is progressing well and our investigators are continuing to gather and analyse key evidence. 

‘At this stage we have no indication that any of the officers involved may have breached police professional standards or committed a criminal offence, although we keep conduct matters constantly under review. 

‘We will work to complete the investigation as quickly as possible and we are committed to carrying out a thorough and robust examination of all the evidence. We continue to liaise with Mr Omishore’s family to update them on our progress.’

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