Pictured: Man, 41, who died ‘after being Tasered by police three times’ on Chelsea Bridge and ‘jumping into the river after brandishing a weapon’
- EXCLUSIVE: Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore, 41, is named by his neighbours
- He died in hospital after he was believed to have jumped into the River Thames
- This was following a confrontation with two Metropolitan Police on Saturday
- Officers were called to Chelsea Bridge after a man was seen ‘armed with a screwdriver and shouting’
This is the man who died after being reportedly tasered by police on Chelsea Bridge and jumped into the river below.
Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore, 41, from Pimlico, was named by neighbours and is reported to have had a history of mental health issues.
He died in hospital yesterday following two Metropolitan Police officers confronting him on Saturday morning as the force was called to reports of a man ‘armed with a screwdriver and shouting’.
The 41-year-old was described by a neighbour, who said they saw police searching his flat, as a ‘really nice guy’.
The man was ‘challenged’ by officers on the Chelsea Bridge before a Taser was discharged, but this ‘did not enable the officers to safely detain him’, police said.
An eyewitness told MailOnline how Mr Omishore had been yelling ‘incomprehensible’ religious statements as he was walked towards the bridge in central London.
He was shouting at passers-by for five minutes before the police arrived and appeared to be clutching what Scotland Yard later said was a screwdriver.
The officers tried to subdue him by allegedly tasering him three times on the bridge but he vaulted the barrier before climbing over the bridge and dropping into the Thames.
The 41-year-old was tonight named by neighbours as Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore who is reported to have had a history of mental health issues.=
A woman who lives nearby told how he was struggling to breath in the water and was swept beyond Vauxhall Bridge by the tide before he was pulled out by the RNLI at Lambeth Pier.
She said: ‘I heard someone shouting as they walked past my flat and I came out to see what the commotion was.
‘There was a large man, who looked to be over 6ft tall, shouting at people in the street by the bridge.
‘I couldn’t make out what he was saying as it was all quite incomprehensible but one word I did hear was “God”. He was making religious references but what it mean I couldn’t tell.
‘He was clearly in a distressed state and was brandishing something. The police later told me it was a screwdriver, but I have to say it didn’t look like that to me. It looked like a small metal bar of some sort.
‘When the two officers arrived he ran onto the bridge and because of his size they tried to subdue him with taser. I saw them use it at least twice but it didn’t incapacitate him.
‘Instead he managed to run off, leap a barrier and jumped into the river. It was awful to see.
‘At some point I saw his head and shoulders come up above the water and he was bobbing around struggling to breath. The tide was strong and he wasn’t able to swim.
‘It took him out past Vauxhall Bridge, the next bridge along. He was pulled from the water just beyond there.’
Police were called to the scene in Chelsea Bridge Road, west London, at 9.03am after receiving reports that a man was armed with a screwdriver and shouting
The Met have referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who have now launched an investigation.
Officers were seen searching his fourth floor flat in Pimlico yesterday.
A neighbour said: ‘The police were in and out of the property yesterday. I think they were looking to see where the screwdriver had come from.
‘The man who lived in the flat was called Oladeji and he’d been living there about nine months. Maybe a year.
‘He was a really nice guy but he suffered from serious mental health issues and when he hadn’t taken his medication he could cause problems.
‘He’d smashed the windows to the entrance to the block a few times and he’d also been seen hurling items out of his back window onto cars below.
‘He would talk about religion at times and said he’d wanted to be “normal” but there was a “dark angel” following him.
‘Before he came here, he’d been in supported accommodation but he’d been deemed fit enough to live by himself. A social worker would drop in on him now and again.
‘It’s tragic really, I wish he’d got the help he needed. Some of his family visited the flat yesterday to get some of his stuff. They are due to come back in the next few days to finish clearing it out.’
The man was in a confrontation with police officers from the Met on Chelsea Bridge on Saturday morning
The IOPC tonight appealed for witnesses to come forward as it investigates the incident.
In a statement, a spokesman said: ‘Police approached the 41-year-old man on the bridge shortly after 9am on Saturday (4 June) while responding to reports of a disturbance. A Taser was deployed by one of the officers prior to the man entering the river.
‘The man, who lived locally, was rescued from the water after the arrival of a Royal National Lifeboat Institution vessel and taken to Lambeth pier where first aid was given by ambulance staff. He was taken to hospital but sadly died there on Saturday evening.
‘After we were notified by the MPS on Saturday we sent investigators to the scene and to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.
‘Our investigators have carried out a CCTV trawl, and have secured some mobile footage filmed on the bridge as well as police body-worn video footage. Initial accounts have been provided by officers involved, and the Taser that was deployed has been gathered for analysis. IOPC investigators have also overseen forensic examination of the scene.
‘HM Coroner has been informed and a post mortem examination will take place in due course.’
The Met Police offered their ‘sincere condolences’ to Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore’s family
Commander Alexis Boon, of the Met’s Frontline Policing, said: ‘My thoughts are with the family of the man at this very difficult time. I offer my sincere condolences to them for their tragic loss.
‘Officers go to work every day to keep the public safe, and so any incident in which a person comes to harm following contact with police is understandably concerning.
‘Our officers face some of the most challenging and difficult situations daily, in doing so they are fully aware that their actions should rightly be subject to public scrutiny.
‘The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards made an immediate referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following this sad incident, and we will co-operate fully with them as they work to understand the full circumstances.’
Footage of the incident appeared to show one of the officers fire a Taser, causing the man to fall to the floor.
Officers reportedly Tasered him twice more before he appeared to jump over railings into the River Thames below.
The Met Police said yesterday it had referred itself to the IOPC to investigate the circumstances leading up to the use of the Taser.
The Met’s own professional standards department has also launched an investigation.
The 41-year-old (also pictured) was described by a neighbour, who said they saw police searching his flat, as a ‘really nice guy’
IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem added: ‘Our sympathies are with the family of the man who died and everyone else affected. We have already met with the man’s family to explain our role and we will keep them regularly updated as our inquiries progress.
‘We have an independent investigation under way, which is looking at the interaction between officers and the man on the bridge. While we have footage we would appeal to people to get in touch with us without delay if they saw or recorded any part of the incident, either on the bridge, after the man came to be in the water, or at Lambeth pier when the man was taken there.
‘We would also urge anyone who was on a boat near the bridge at around that time on Saturday morning to contact us.’
Detective Chief Inspector Rory Wilkinson of the Met’s Central West BCU said on Saturday: ‘I understand that there are always concerns about incidents in which people come to harm having been in contact with police.
‘All Met officers know that they are accountable for their actions, and a full investigation is under way to establish exactly what happened.’
Anyone with information can contact the IOPC on 0300 3035579 or email [email protected] as soon as possible.
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