Abstract
Sean Rigg was forty when he died in ‘the cage’ in Brixton police station on 21 August 2008. He was a rap artist and singer, and had released a CD of his own music and lyrics. He was widely travelled and was considered to be a charming and intelligent person. Sean was black, he had a formal diagnosis of schizophrenia which was controlled by medication. His condition was usually well managed, enabling him to live an active, independent life, but could deteriorate rapidly if he ceased taking medication. Sean lived in a community mental health hostel in south London and was in regular contact with his family, particularly his sister, Marcia, who was considered to be an ‘integral’ part of his care team (Lakhani 2012). His consultant from the South London and Maudsley Trust (SLaM) considered him to be a physically fit and healthy person.
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Notes
- 1.
Previously known as Police Surgeons. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) use the term Forensic Medical Examiner; Kelly et al. (1996) note the wide variation of terms used in this role.
- 2.
One example of an exception is the death of Azelle Rodney, shot dead by MPS undercover officers. This case was investigated by judicial inquiry (Holland 2013).
- 3.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is an exception, their equivalent unit is called ‘The Directorate of Professional Standards’ (DPS).
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Baker, D. (2016). Introduction: Contextualising Death after Police Contact. In: Deaths After Police Contact. Critical Criminological Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-58967-5_1
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