‘Stress’ led to death of man restrained by police
The death of a man restrained by police after being involved in a car crash was caused by a mixture of stress, heart disease and cocaine toxicity, an inquest has heard.
Abdul Hamid, 26, died on a driveway on Broad Lane, Coventry, on 1 May 2020.
Coroner Delroy Henry said Mr Hamid was in a “highly agitated state” when he fled the crash, ending in “interaction” with both police and the public.
Mr Henry, coroner for Coventry and Warwickshire, gave a narrative verdict.
At the end of a two-week hearing at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, Mr Henry said the chain of events following the crash, together with Mr Hamid’s underlying health conditions, had created “an adverse stress response”, both physiological and psychological, which led to his death.
Last year’s collision with another vehicle happened near the A45, and afterwards, Mr Hamid, a student from Birmingham, was reportedly stopped from leaving the scene by people who had gathered there.
Ahead of the hearing, the charity Inquest said Mr Hamid had a history of mental health illness and drug use, and had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which was being managed with medication.
Mr Hamid’s family described him as someone with “a big heart and infectious smile, who touched the lives of those around him with his kindness and positivity,” the charity reported.
Giving a narrative ruling, Mr Henry said: “Mr Hamid died from cocaine toxicity, coronary artery atheroma combined with a highly-agitated state while fleeing the [crash] which led to an interaction with members of the public and the police, heightening the occurrence of his death.”
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has been contacted for comment. It said it expected to issue a statement later this week.
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