Devon and Cornwall Police officers committed gross misconduct when man died in police van

Two officers from Devon and Cornwall Police committed gross misconduct by failing to provide emergency first aid to a man who died after collapsing in the back of their police van, a disciplinary panel has found.

PCs Grant Mackenzie and Dean Hunkin transported Stephen Reardon in the van’s secure holding area for almost 40 minutes after his arrest for driving under the influence of drink or drugs in St Austell on 13 July, 2023.

Mr Reardon slumped to the floor just minutes into the 17-mile trip to Newquay Police Station and van CCTV showed him suffering seizures and visibly trembling.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) revealed the officers failed to spot the 34-year-old needed urgent medical attention.

PC Hunkin described Mr Reardon as “playing games” when seeing him shaking and unresponsive through the van’s Perspex divide.

The IOPC found that Mr Reardon’s name was called out by the officers 63 times during the journey to custody.

However, despite him not responding and spending 22 minutes on the van floor, they failed to stop and assess his condition.

Mr Reardon was found unconscious and not breathing in the police station car park at 11.23am. He was given CPR and paramedics attended but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead later that day in hospital.

A small bag was found lodged in his airway. The van’s CCTV showed that Mr Reardon pushed it into his mouth before the journey began, having taken it from inside his pants while front handcuffed.

PC MacKenzie had argued that, as he was driving the van, responsibility for monitoring Mr Reardon fell to his junior colleague. However, the panel deemed both officers had joint responsibility and should have offered early medical assistance to Mr Reardon.

A police misconduct hearing in Exeter concluded on Thursday 14 August that the officers had committed gross misconduct. They were found in breach of the duties and responsibilities standard of professional behaviour.

PC Mackenzie – who had worked with Devon & Cornwall Police for six years – was dismissed with immediate effect, while PC Hunkin, who was new in post and being mentored at the time, would also have been sacked had he not already resigned.

Both have been placed on the College of Police’s Barred List preventing them from working in policing again in the future.

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell, said: “Both officers were first aid trained but neither checked on Mr Reardon or provided any intervention until around 24 minutes after he collapsed onto the van floor.

“Even when the van was stationary at the custody gates, there was still no urgency on the part of either officer to commence first aid, despite them being aware he’d been unresponsive for at least seven minutes.

He added: “None of the attending officers seemed to take responsibility for Mr Reardon’s supervision and he was not thoroughly searched.

"And we found no evidence of discussions over moving the handcuffs from the front to the rear in line with local and national policy. It meant Mr Reardon was able to put a package into his mouth, undetected, before the journey began.

“This is a tragic case. I express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Reardon for their loss.”

According to the IOPC, Devon & Cornwall Police has accepted recommendations from the investigation.

These include reviewing policy and training relating to the supervision of detainees during transportation, and reviewing policies and procedures in respect of officer mentoring and tutoring.