A vigil was held for a man who fell five storeys to his death ‘shortly after being Tasered’ by police in Peckham.
Two Met Police officers could face criminal investigations over the death of Zodoq Obatolah, 52, who suffered fatal injuries on April 12.
The vigil, held on Saturday, September 30, saw people lay flowers at the spot where Zodoq fell and observe a one-minute silence.
It was followed by a march, with roughly 150 demonstrators holding placards with slogans such as ‘end the use of Taser torture’.
Chants rang out across Rye Lane before protestors arrived outside Peckham Police Station to hear speeches from several speakers.
The day’s events were held by Zodoq’s neighbours on the Rye Hill Estate and Southwark Copwatch, an activist group that monitors police action.
Dee, a Rye Hill Estate resident, said: “I’m a neighbours person… and I just think this was wrong and we need to support whatever we can do to get justice for Zodoq.”
“If this [vigil] didn’t happen then his death would’ve just been another day and that’s what I couldn’t take,” she added.
Officers were called to Zodoq’s address just before midnight on April 11 following reports of a man shouting from a balcony. However, they received no response from inside the flat and left.
At around 1.25am, police were told that a man was threatening to jump from a balcony and so returned to the property at around 2am.
They forced entry and tried to persuade the man to come inside from the balcony, the IOPC said.
Officers also requested that a police negotiator attend the scene. The IOPC said that, over the course of the next hour, some officers left the flat but two officers remained.
IOPC investigators have said: “Evidence at this stage indicates that an officer discharged their Taser, shortly before the man fell from the balcony railing at around 3.20am.
“The man fell five floors to the ground and was transported to hospital with critical injuries. He sadly died later that day.”
Two police officers are being investigated for gross negligence manslaughter and one of them is also being investigated for unlawful act manslaughter.
Southwark Copwatch has made a series of demands including banning the use of Tasers and the end of police responding to mental health call-outs.
Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley has previously said police would begin withdrawing from mental health call-outs.
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “Our thoughts are with the man who died and we sincerely hope that he is formally identified and that his family are able to be notified.
“This was a tragic incident and we recognise that the circumstances surrounding the man’s death have understandably
“Following the conclusion of our investigation, we will decide whether to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision and we will determine whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings.”