Man dies after being restrained by passengers on flight from Cyprus to UK
A police investigation is underway after the death of Callum Kerr on the flight from Larnaca to Manchester
KickT
An investigation is being launched after the death of a man who was restrained on a flight from Cyprus to the UK.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said Callum Kerr, 35, was restrained by passengers and crew on the flight from Larnaca to Manchester.
Officers were called at about 2.25am on Monday to reports of a man behaving aggressively on the flight and assaulting a passenger and member of cabin crew, the force said.
The spokesman said: “Officers boarded the aircraft on its arrival and located the man, who was being restrained by passengers and aircrew at the rear of the plane.
“Officers used handcuffs to detain him and quickly identified he was unresponsive, through the provision of first aid, and began with CPR.”
Mr Kerr died in hospital on Tuesday, police said.
In a statement, his family said: “Callum was a family man, father to three beautiful young children, a lover of sport and with a heart of gold.”
A mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) was made by the force because of police contact with Mr Kerr before his death.
Detectives from GMP are investigating circumstances on the flight before the arrival of officers.
Chief Superintendent Mike Allen said: “I know there were many people on the flight who witnessed the violence and disruption prior to officers’ arrival.
“We know passengers and aircrew worked to detain the man to bring the incident to an end.
“Our detectives are investigating this to understand the full circumstances.”
IOPC director of engagement Amanda Rowe said evidence, including body-worn footage, had been reviewed and police officers were being treated as witnesses, rather than being investigated for their conduct.
She said: “I want to reassure people our investigation will be thorough, and independent of the police, to ensure we understand exactly what has happened.
“This will focus on the actions of police, while a separate GMP investigation is considering the actions of the members of the public involved.
“We have been in contact with Mr Kerr’s family to make them aware of our role and will keep them, and GMP, updated as our investigation progresses.”
