Man dies in custody after Oldham arrest

Police were called to reports of a domestic disturbance on Seventh Avenue in Oldham

A man has died in custody after being arrested in Oldham.

At around 11:35pm on Friday (July 6), police were called to reports of a domestic disturbance on Seventh Avenue in Oldham.

Officers attended and a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace.

During the arrest attempt, officers used CS spray to detain the man.

The man was transported to Ashton Police Station.

However, on arrival he was found to be unresponsive in the back of the police van.

He was then taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.

His family are receiving support from specially trained officers at this difficult time.

A referral was made by the GMP Professional Standards Branch to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who have decided to launch an independent investigation.

Chief Superintendent Neil Evans, GMP’s Territorial Commander for Oldham & Tameside, said: “We received a report of a domestic disturbance at a property in Oldham.

“Local officers swiftly responded to the incident and arrested a man on suspicion of breach of the peace. During the arrest attempts, the officers deployed CS spray before putting him in the back of a van.

“On arrival at Ashton Police Station, the man was found to be unresponsive and he was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. We have since been providing his family with support from specially trained officers at this difficult time.

“We have made a mandatory referral to the IOPC who are independently investigating and we will continue to co-operate with them fully.”