I Can’t Breathe: Race, death & British policing (from INQUEST)

4WardEverUK • 26 February 2023

source: INQUEST

first published: 20 February 2023

Image Credit: 4WardEverUK


In ‘I can’t breathe’: Race, death and British Policing, INQUEST investigated the processes, procedures and evidence base of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the coronial system to examine how accountability for racism is delivered.


INQUEST found a system which works against delivering accountability, that appeared blind to the evidence and where racial discrimination was not addressed meaningfully.

INQUEST report cover

The detailed report makes the following issues clear for the first time:

  • Official data never before made public shows that Black people are seven times more likely to die than White people following the use of restraint by police.
  • No death of a Black person following police custody or contact has led to officers being disciplined for racism, at a conduct or criminal level.
  • Despite the stark racial disproportionality evidenced in data, none of the accountability processes effectively or substantially consider the potential role of racism in deaths.
  • Britain’s leading human rights lawyers told INQUEST that the role of racism is not adequately scrutinised by post-death investigation system.

The report features new data and analysis. It includes powerful interviews with expert human rights lawyers who are members of the INQUEST Lawyers Group, and five bereaved family members who have been through the legal processes.


See executive summary here >

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