Inquiry into Police Investigation of the Death of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Sample Clauses

Inquiry into Police Investigation of the Death of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx. In September 1998 an inquest into the death of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, a 30-year-old black musician, found that he had been unlawfully killed and that he died after being set alight by white youths. The police failed to take a statement from Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx as he lay in the hospital for 16 days before his death. He told family and friends that he had been attacked by four white youths who had followed him from a bus and that they had set him alight. The police, however, had believed that he had set himself alight and reportedly did not launch a criminal inquiry or seal off the scene for 12 hours. Forensic scientists and pathologists testified at the inquest that the nature of his injuries made it almost inconceivable that he had set fire to himself. The Metropolitan police subsequently admitted that police action in the crucial time after the attack had not been thorough. Four senior officers were the subject of an internal investigation, but no action was taken against three who subsequently retired or were about to retire; the fourth was given “advice”. Following the inquest verdict in September 1998, the Police Complaints Authority appointed a Chief Constable from another police force in England to lead an inquiry into why the Metropolitan Police made serious mistakes in dealing with Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx’x death. In November 1998, the Home Secretary met with the family of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx. The family believe that police racism was behind the failure of the initial investigation into Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx’x death. In November 1998 a team from the Race and Violent Crime Unit of the Metropolitan Police began to re-investigate Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx’x death. (This new police unit was set up in July 1998 in response to controversy surrounding police handling of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx’x murder.)