Police watchdog investigating response to emergency calls before death of Kevin Tridgell in Cliftonville

Emergency services

The independent Office for Police Conduct is  investigating how Kent Police responded to four emergency calls before the death of 38-year-old Kevin Tridgell in Cliftonville on June 2.

Mr Tridgell died after being found at a flat in Northdown Road with serious injuries. Paramedics treated him at the scene but he died in hospital.

Trevor Brazier, 48, of Northdown Road,has been charged with murder and appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday, June 6. Brazier was remanded in custody to stand trial in November at Canterbury Crown Court.

An independent investigation was launched after Kent Police made a mandatory referral to the IOPC and investigators were sent to the police station where initial statements were taken from the officers involved.

Investigation

The IOPC is examining the actions of police control room staff who handled and graded the emergency calls and the deployment and response of officers who twice attended an address in Northdown Road before the death of Mr Tridgell. The investigative work will continue including identifying, and obtaining statements from, key police witnesses and analysing body worn video footage of the incident.

Condolences

IOPC regional director Sarah Green said: “This is clearly a tragic incident and we have made contact with Mr Tridgell’s family to extend our condolences and explain our role.

“It is important we establish the facts surrounding interactions between Kent Police and Mr Tridgell prior to his death and whether those encounters were in keeping with training and policies.

“As has been widely reported Kent Police is conducting a separate murder investigation and a man has been charged with murder and remanded into custody. Therefore it would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment at this time.”