In 2011, father of three Kingsley Burrell died from cardiac arrest after being arrested. Burrell was arrested and sectioned under the Mental Health Act, after calling the police and claiming that two men had put a gun to his head. He died days later at Queen Elisabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
An inquest into his death found that restraint had been a key factor in his death. Today, three serving officers were charged with perverting the course of justice and perjury.
Constables Paul Adey, 36, Mark Fannon, 45, and Paul Greenfield, 50, have been suspended by West Midlands Police, and will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on October 31.
A CPS investigation in 2014 concluded that there was not enough evidence to bring charges to anyone involved. However, a file was handed to the CPS by IPCC investigators in October last year following a complaint from Kingley’s family.
After a number of years protesting the lack of answers over his death, his family have now released a statement welcoming today’s decision.
It reads, “The Burrell family welcome today’s decision to prosecute the three officers concerned, in the belief that they must be publicly held to account for their actions in the circumstances surrounding the death of Kingsley.
“This has been a long time coming and the fight for Justice for Kingsley continues.”
A CPS spokesman added, “Criminal proceedings involving the three police constables will now be commenced and each has a right to a fair trial.”