File on 4 Investigates

Police Restraint


Listen Later

Inquests in England are increasingly hearing a new term to explain deaths in police custody: Excited Delirium. It's a diagnosis with origins in the United States, where it has been associated with consumption of massive doses of cocaine. People with ED are said to possess super-human strength and to be largely impervious to pain. They behave bizarrely, sometimes destructively.They often seem paranoid and frequently resist arrest. As police struggle to restrain them they overheat and die.

But critics -- including some British Pathologists -- point out that Excited Delirium is not recognised by the World Health Organisation and that there is a lack of valid research. Civil liberties organisations fear that the diagnosis might be employed to excuse improper use of restraint techniques by police.

For 'File on 4' Angus Stickler has travelled to the cocaine capital of the United States, Miami, where police and scientists are attempting to define and deal with the controversial condition.

And in England he speaks to families whose loved ones have died after being restrained by the police. Is Excited Delirium well-enough understood to be used by courts? And just how many people are dying while being restrained -- either in custody or while being arrested? Are the official figures reliable?

Producer: Andy Denwood.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

File on 4 InvestigatesBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

31 ratings


More shows like File on 4 Investigates

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,407 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

381 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,855 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,831 Listeners

Crossing Continents by BBC Radio 4

Crossing Continents

78 Listeners

Profile by BBC Radio 4

Profile

106 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,770 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,061 Listeners

The Media Show by BBC Radio 4

The Media Show

31 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

590 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,965 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,063 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,899 Listeners

Moral Maze by BBC Radio 4

Moral Maze

76 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

81 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

698 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

778 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,031 Listeners

The Slow Newscast by Tortoise Media

The Slow Newscast

183 Listeners

The Story by The Times

The Story

252 Listeners

Was There Ever A Crime? The Trials of Lucy Letby with John Sweeney by John Sweeney

Was There Ever A Crime? The Trials of Lucy Letby with John Sweeney

77 Listeners

AntiSocial by BBC Radio 4

AntiSocial

3 Listeners

Double Jeopardy - UK Law and Politics by Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC

Double Jeopardy - UK Law and Politics

4 Listeners

The Other Side of Lucy Letby by Michael McConville

The Other Side of Lucy Letby

17 Listeners

In Dark Corners by BBC Radio 4

In Dark Corners

0 Listeners