Man Drowned in Thames After Being Tasered Three Times by Police, Inquest Reveals
Shocking Scene on Chelsea Bridge
Police fired a stun gun at Oladeji Omishore three times before he fell to his death in the River Thames, an inquest has heard. The 41-year-old took a fatal plunge from Chelsea Bridge in June 2022 after officers responded to reports of a man waving a weapon on a busy road.
Officers arrived to find Omishore holding what they believed was a screwdriver or knife. It was later identified as a long gas lighter. Bodycam footage showed an officer warning, “Drop the screwdriver or you will be Tasered,” before discharging the stun gun three times in quick succession. Omishore collapsed, visibly distressed, but then ran toward the bridge’s edge.
An officer continued to aim the stun gun as Omishore climbed over the railings and fell into the Thames, where he drowned.
999 Calls Paint Picture of Mental Health Crisis
During the inquest, callers revealed Omishore’s troubling state before police arrived. One said, “He doesn’t look like he’s in the right frame of mind.” Another witness added, “I don’t think he’s actually threatening violence, I think he’s just ill.” A third described seeing him near Lister Hospital looking “very, very unwell.” These testimonies highlight serious mental health concerns during the tragic incident.
Investigations Uncover Police Errors
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an inquiry, which expanded after the Metropolitan Police initially gave inaccurate details. Early police statements wrongly described the item in Omishore’s hands as a screwdriver rather than a lighter.
Footage shown at the inquest confirmed officers picked up the lighter from the ground after Omishore fell – contradicting initial accounts. The inquest is expected to further probe police use of force and the failures in communication.
Family Mourns ‘Kind and Gentle Soul’
Omishore’s family painted a touching tribute. They described him as a “kind and gentle soul” who fought drug addiction and had been drug-free since March 2022 after rehab.
His father shared a poignant memory of Omishore holding his newborn niece just a week before his death: “Deji cherished that moment. None of us imagined it would be his last time holding her.”
Although Omishore had reconnected with his family after years apart, he withdrew in the days leading up to his death, asking to be left alone.
“The pain of his loss is indescribable, and the haunting manner of his death is a memory we cannot erase. As a family, we continue to seek justice and answers. While we cannot bring him back – we can do that.”
The inquest continues as fresh questions loom over the police’s handling of the heartbreaking incident.
