Metropolitan police suspend officer facing charges in Sean Rigg case
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Version 0 of 1. A police officer has been suspended more than a week after he was charged with perjury over evidence he gave at the inquest into the death of a man in custody, following pressure from the bereaved family. Sean Rigg, 40, a musician who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, died of a heart attack at Brixton police station, London, in 2008 after being arrested on suspicion of attacking passersby and officers. Sgt Paul White, who was charged on 8 July over evidence he gave at the inquest into Rigg’s death in July 2012, was initially placed on restricted duties but has now been suspended. He is set to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 8 September. The move comes after Rigg’s family called on the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, to “urgently change his mind”. Marcia Rigg-Samuel, Rigg’s older sister, said: “My family welcome the appropriate step taken by the commissioner to suspend PS [police sergeant] Paul White in the public interest, pending the outcome of the perjury trial, it is now important for that trial to take place as speedily as possible.” The inquest jury found police used “unsuitable” force when they arrested Rigg, who was held in a police van for 11 minutes before being taken to the station. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had said last year it would take no further action after considering allegations against White and PC Mark Harratt concerning statements made about Rigg. It decided last week to charge White, but maintained there was not enough evidence to charge Harratt. The decision came after Rigg’s family applied for a review of the case under a recently introduced scheme that gives victims the right to request that the CPS reconsiders decisions not to prosecute. A statement from Scotland Yard said: “On Wednesday 8 July the CPS announced a decision to charge an Metropolitan police sergeant with perjury in relation to evidence he gave to the inquest into the death of Sean Rigg. “At that time he remained on restricted duties, this has now been reviewed and the officer has been suspended. “We must allow the judicial process to run its course and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.” Deborah Coles, co-director of Inquest, a charity that advises people bereaved by a death in custody and detention, said: “It should be standard practice for a police officer charged with a criminal offence to be suspended. It should not be for a bereaved family to have to put pressure on the police to force them to do what is clearly in the public interest.” Rigg was living in a south London hostel in August 2008 when his mental health deteriorated. One afternoon, he smashed up a gazebo and made karate moves that staff viewed as threatening, so they called the police. The inquest jury in 2012 found officers failed to uphold Rigg’s basic rights as he collapsed after being pinned down, and concluded that the Metropolitan police made a series of errors which “more than minimally” contributed to his death. |