originally published by: BBC News
7th May 2010

Police who detained a man before he died failed to recognise a “medical emergency”, an inquest jury has found. Nadeem Khan, of Lancashire, who had been arrested for displaying violent behaviour, had high levels of cocaine in his blood when he died in 2007.

The jury at Preston Coroner’s Court said Mr Khan was suffering from excited delirium which had not been recognised. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has called for officers to be trained to deal with the condition.

A narrative verdict read out to the court said: “The contributory factors leading to Mr Khan’s death are the physiological stress that Mr Khan suffered.

“From the start of the first reported incident, and then the subsequent necessary restraints used due to his behaviour, we believe were cumulative and contributory factors to his death.

“There was also an inability to recognise that Mr Khan was suffering from excited delirium, which is a medical emergency.”

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