Police ‘not at fault’ after man fatally falls from tree on Pimlico estate
The Met Police were not at fault over the death of a 46-year-old man who fatally fell from a tree on a Pimlico estate, the police watchdog has found.
An inquest on Thursday found that Daniel Lyle’s death was accidental after he fell from the tree on March 20, 2020, which he scaled as officers tried to approach him.
Officers had been talking to Mr Lyle in a bid to get him down from the tree before he fell.
On Friday, police watchdog the IOPC said its probe found officers were not at fault over his death. It said officers had tried several options to ensure his safety, including requesting a trained negotiator to talk him down.
Members of the public had called the police to report a man “attacking people, throwing metal bins around/pushing them over, throwing ‘stuff’ at the refuse collectors, and kicking rubbish” at around 8.30am.
The IOPC said as officers approached Mr Lyle, he climbed from a wall into a tree at the estate.
They called for assistance from firefighters and paramedics and attempted to reason with Mr Lyle for around 15 minutes.
He climbed to the top of the tree and refused to move, before falling to his death, said the IOPC. It said no officer behaved in any way that would justify bringing misconduct proceedings.
IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said: “Our thoughts remain with Mr Lyle’s family and friends and all those affected by his death.
“This was a tragic incident and the inquest findings have agreed with our conclusion that the actions of the officers did not cause or contribute to his death.”
