Several people have died after contact with the police in the North East, figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct show. 

Between April 2017 and March 2022, the IPOC investigated the deaths of nine individuals after contact with Durham Constabulary, including one man within the 2021-22 period. 

Only one death occurred whilst the individual was in police custody, with eight more dying following contact with the police.

Three individuals committed suicide, and a further four deaths occurred after other incidents where police were involved - such as police assisting medical staff to restrain someone. 

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In 2019, one young man died after a fatal crash during a police car chase. 

The IOPC has also established that there may be deaths following police contact that they have not investigated - meaning that they have been left out of these statistics. 

Across the country, only 11 deaths were recorded in 2021-22, compared to 19 last year, a decrease of 42 per cent. 

Speaking on the national picture, Michael Lockwood, the Director General of the IOPC, said that every death was a "tragedy", but was still encouraged by the fall in deaths whilst in police custody. 

However, nationally, there has also been a concerning rise in the number of deaths related to road traffic collisions involving police - with 39 fatalities recorded between March 2021 to March 2022, of 14 on figures from the year before. 

However, this increase is solely a national trend, as Durham Police were not involved in any road traffic collisions this year. 

Mr Lockwood went on to outline what was necessary to tackle deaths in police custody, saying a "system-wide" response to how mental health, drugs and alcohol issues are dealt with in police custody. 

"We need to make sure that appropriate health and social services are available to meet the needs of those in crisis, particularly in response to issues of mental health.

"We also need to ensure police custody is as safe as possible, and to better train officers to de-escalate in conflict situations where feasible," he said.

Sophie Khan, director of legal and policy at Police Action Centre, which provides advice on police misconduct, said the national figures suggest a “serious lack of training” among police forces, particularly on dealing with mental health crises. 

One of the Durham deaths investigated by the IPOC is that of 24-year-old Jake Anderson, who died from ketoacidosis, a form of alcohol withdrawal, whilst in Peterlee Police custody in June 2019. 

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The IOPC's investigation found a number of police failings, however, a subsequent inquest found these failings had not contributed to his death. 

A spokeswoman for Durham Constabulary said: “The death of Jake Anderson was a tragedy and we continue to offer our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

“The Independent Office for Police Conduct carried out a detailed and thorough investigation into events surrounding this case and there was a full coroner’s inquest, both of which concluded that Durham Constabulary did not cause or contribute in any way to Mr Anderson’s death.

“However, we are always trying to improve our facilities and procedures and have invested in a modern custody and investigations centre, currently under construction at Spennymoor, which will incorporate a number of key safety features to protect police officers and detainees alike.”

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