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A man who died after being immobilized face down by public transport workers was illegally killed, a coroner ruled.
Jack Barnes, 29, repeatedly said “I can’t breathe” when he was detained by Metrolink contract personnel in Manchester in October 2016, the city’s forensic court was told.
The man, from Hull, had been detained and held by four “customer service representatives” following an altercation at Manchester Victoria train station.
The father of one was lying on the sidewalk on Deansgate, downtown, after he was caught after a 1,000 m (1 km) chase, the court was told.
He then went into cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital, but died seven weeks later after suffering a severe hypoxic brain injury, caused by a lack of blood flow or oxygen.
Manchester Senior Coroner Nigel Meadows said the cardiac arrest was caused in part by “the prolonged restraint itself and the excessive and unreasonable force.”
The court heard that the four men, who had been monitoring antisocial behavior on the tram system, were responding to an assault on two of their colleagues that same night by Mr. Barnes.
One of the representatives, a former police officer, assumed the restraining position at one point and grabbed Mr. Barnes’s neck and held his left arm behind his back, as well as pressing his back.
Jack Barnes as a child
From the body camera images used by a colleague, the former police officer was heard saying, “We are going to get you a friend. You’re fine” and then added, “Well, if you fight, I’ll put you to sleep.
“It won’t kill you.
“It won’t kill you, but you will sleep for a while.”
Mr. Barnes did not continue to fight or scream while being held, but he was heard slurring for a short time before going into cardiac arrest.
He then stopped moving for several minutes, and when they turned him over several minutes later, his lips were seen to be blue.
Mr. Barnes suffered a severe hypoxic brain injury and died in hospital almost two months later, on December 2, 2016.
The father of one had been using the drug Spice prior to the incident and had had an argument with a staff member about allegedly using drugs on trams or platforms.
This led to Mr. Barnes swinging his bag at two staff members before he was kicked out of the station, the court was told.
The four pursuers were described as “overstimulated and excited” by Mr. Meadows, who noted that they could have called the police during the course of the pursuit, but they were not.
He concluded: “Jack’s cardiac arrest was caused by a combination of factors involving the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids, the physical exertion of being chased for more than 1,000 meters, as well as an element of resistance to restraint in the initial stages, but also the prolonged restriction itself. ” and the excessive and unreasonable force used to do so. “
He declared the death illegal and said the restriction “contributed more than minimal, trivial or negligible” to cardiac arrest.
Barnes’s mother, Patricia Gerrard, who has been calling for the four men to face trial, said: “If it had been the other way around, my Jack would have been sent to prison. I’m sure of that.
“He should be here with us and watch his beautiful daughter grow up.”
Ms. Gerrard’s attorney said security members “sought confrontation” and used “excessive force” and acted against the employer’s police to “get away.”
He also said that “adequate care” had not been provided after Barnes lost consciousness.
Transport for Greater Manchester Chief Executive Officer Eamonn Boylan said: “This was a deeply disturbing and tragic incident and we have worked closely with both the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the coroner’s office to ensure that all facts surrounding Jack’s death were thoroughly investigated.
“There were clear policies and training in place at the time of the incident, which were completely ignored by those involved that night.”
