Saul Cookson died on June 8 after colliding with an ambulance
Greater Manchester Police officers acted ‘appropriately’ when they followed a 15-year-old kid on an electric motorcycle before he was fatally struck by an ambulance, according to the police watchdog. Saul Cookson was riding a Sur-Ron electric motorcycle in Salford at 2 p.m. on June 8, 2023, when two GMP officers followed him in a marked police car.
Only 24 seconds after they began following him, Saul went through a pair of bollards that the police BMW X5 could not follow. After going through the bollards onto Langworthy Road, he collided with an ambulance and died from his injuries at Salford Royal.
Greater Manchester Police forwarded the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is required when someone dies after making contact with police. The IOPC has now determined that the officers involved, identified to in court as officers E7 and D5 for ‘operational reasons’, acted ‘appropriately’.
An investigation following Saul’s death at Bolton Coroners’ Court determined that the officers did not pursue him ‘according to police policies’. A jury determined that Saul died from’multiple severe injuries’.
The case was sent to the IPOC, which has since completed its investigation. This revealed that the presence of the large marked police car may have influenced Saul’s riding style.
However, it found no evidence that any police had acted in a manner that would necessitate disciplinary action, and no officer had committed a criminal offense. The contact time between the cops first noticing Saul and his collision with the ambulance was 24 seconds.
According to the IOPC, the ambulance driver would have first seen Saul 0.6 seconds before the collision.
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates stated, “Any death on our roads is a tragedy, and in this case, a boy has lost his life, and our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those affected.”
“Our inquiry was conducted independently of the police and sought to understand the events leading up to the crash. We found that the officers acted appropriately and in accordance with procedure.
“The evidence we gathered was provided to the coroner to assist with the inquest proceedings, which we hope has helped answer some of the families’ questions about that day.”
Saul’s death sparked an outpouring of mourning among the community. His mother, Emma Frendo, described him as a “much-loved son, brother, grandson, and nephew” who was “the sweetest, most kindest boy ever”.
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