A man in his 20s died after falling into the River Thames while being detained by police.
Following a routine police patrol on Friday, police were dispatched to the Kingston Bridge at around 10.30pm to intervene in a verbal dispute involving a man and woman they knew.
According to Scotland Yard, a charge of theft was laid and police were detaining the man when he entered the water. He was not handcuffed, the force added.
The Met’s marine policing unit, the National Police Air Service, the London Fire Brigade and the RNLI all attended to find the man.
He was pulled from the water around 12.30pm on Saturday and treated by paramedics but pronounced dead at the scene.
A police cordon remains in place as inquiries continue and the man’s family has been notified.
The Met said its Professional Standards Directorate had approached the Independent Police Conduct Office. The IOPC will conduct an independent investigation.
Maritime Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “My thoughts and those of the Metropolitan Police Service are with the friends and family of the man who sadly lost his life following this incident.
“I fully appreciate that the public is very concerned. Of course we share that concern. The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards immediately contacted the Independent Policing Office, as is documented in any incident where a person is harmed after coming into contact with the police.
“We fully support the IOPC investigation.”
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