The police watchdog has revealed that a man who died after jumping into the River Thames while being Tasered by officers chasing him was armed with a plastic firelighter.
Oladeji Adeyemi Omishore, 41, was previously thought to be holding a screwdriver when two Metropolitan Police officers confronted and Tasered him on Chelsea Bridge.
Omishore died on June 6, two days after police were called to reports of a man ‘armed with a screwdriver and shouting’ in the river.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has now confirmed that he was in fact holding a firelighter when the cops approached him.
The officers Tasered Omishore multiple times, according to the IOPC.
‘We have confirmed Mr Omishore was holding a plastic and metal firelighter when two officers approached him on Chelsea Bridge,’ they said. He had a screwdriver, according to the initial police report.
‘Before the man entered the river, one of the officers discharged a Taser.’ It has been confirmed that the Taser was used multiple times.’
The incident appeared to show one of the officers using a Taser on the man, causing him to fall to the ground.
Officers allegedly Tasered him two more times before he appeared to jump over railings into the Thames below.
The 41-year-old was described as a “really nice guy” by a neighbor who said they saw police searching his flat.
Officers ‘challenged’ the man on the Chelsea Bridge before using a Taser, but this ‘did not enable the officers to safely detain him,’ according to police.
Mr Omishore was yelling ‘incomprehensible’ religious statements as he was walked towards the bridge in central London, according to an eyewitness.
He was shouting at passers-by for five minutes before the police arrived, and he appeared to be holding a screwdriver, which Scotland Yard later confirmed was a firelighter.
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.
He was struggling to breathe in the water, according to a woman who lives nearby, and was swept beyond Vauxhall Bridge by the tide before being rescued by the RNLI at Lambeth Pier.
‘I came out to see what the commotion was because I heard someone shouting as they walked past my flat,’ she said.
‘There was a large man shouting at people in the street near the bridge, who appeared to be over 6ft tall.’
‘I couldn’t understand a word he said because it was all incomprehensible, but one word I did hear was “God.” He was making religious references, but I had no idea what they meant.
‘He was visibly distressed, and he was brandishing a weapon.’ Later, the police told me it was a screwdriver, but it didn’t look like one to me. It appeared to be some sort of small metal bar.
‘When the two officers arrived, he dashed onto the bridge, and they attempted to subdue him with a taser because of his size. ‘I saw them use it at least twice, but it didn’t render him unconscious.’ Instead, he was able to flee, leap over a barrier, and dive into the river. It was heartbreaking to witness.
‘I saw his head and shoulders rise above the water at some point, and he was bobbing around, struggling to breathe.’ He couldn’t swim because the tide was too strong.
‘It took him past Vauxhall Bridge, the next bridge along,’ says the narrator. Just beyond there, he was rescued from the water.’
‘Our thoughts remain with Mr Omishore’s family and all those affected by his death,’ said IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem. We’ll keep in touch with his family and keep them informed about the progress of our independent investigation.
‘Our investigators are still gathering and analyzing key evidence, such as video from the scene and first-hand accounts from officers and members of the public.’
We would like to hear from anyone else who may have witnessed or recorded any part of the incident, whether on the bridge or after Mr Omishore entered the river. It’s critical that we comprehend all of the circumstances that led to his death.’