Brixton Police Arrest Sparks Fears of Sean Rigg Repeat

A suspect passed out while he was being arrested in Brixton, south London, just days after a coroners' jury criticised Brixton police for a death in custody.

Eyewitnesses told BrixtonBlog that the man, said to be 51, was behaving erratically and throwing bottles at passersby in Windrush Square when he was apprehended by police. Witnesses claimed that the suspect was put in a choke-hold and pushed to the ground by officers before he fainted.

The incident happened just days after a jury at Southwark coroners' court found that police had used unsuitable and unnecessary force against Sean Rigg, a 40-year old suspect who died in custody at Brixton police station in 2008.

"Three officers were holding this man. They pushed him to the ground," resident Mona Donle told local press.

"One officer choked him by holding his forearm across the man's throat. Then another officer stamped on him. The foot was on his face and then the man passed out - we kept telling them to call an ambulance.

"The man came round after about 20 minutes - and they were giving him oxygen. People were talking about Sean Rigg and Smiley Culture [the British reggae star who died during a police search of his house in 2011] - it was so shocking to see such unacceptable behaviour from the police," she said.

A small crowd gathered outside Brixton police station to complain and the deputy commander for Lambeth tried to pacifgy them.

A police spokesman said the Windrush Square suspect was arrested on suspicion of threatening and abusive words and behaviour and assault on police.

He had been taken to St Thomas' Hospital and discharged before being taken into custody at a south London police station.