Simeon Francis: Family of black man who died in custody ‘alarmed’ by sergeant ‘sharing George Floyd meme’

Exclusive: Force ‘should now take stock in terms of their attitude towards members of the black community,’ family spokesperson says

The 35-year-old died in a cell at Torquay police station on 20 May this year after being arrested by Devon and Cornwall Police (PA)

The family of a black man whose death in Devon and Cornwall Police custody is under investigation are said to be “completely alarmed” after a sergeant in the force allegedly shared an “inappropriate” meme of George Floyd’s arrest in a WhatsApp group with other officers.

The altered image was allegedly shared among police staff on 30 May – five days after Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police, and just 10 days after the death of 35-year-old Simeon Francis at Torquay police station.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which is probing Francis’s death, launched an investigation into the WhatsApp group in June, prompting the suspension of the sergeant, who has not been named. There is no suggestion they are stationed in Torquay.

“The family of Simeon Francis are completely alarmed at the developments,” Francis family spokesperson Desmond Jaddoo told The Independent.

“Private or not this is highly insensitive as clearly a black man, Simeon Francis, lost his life whilst in the custody of Devon and Cornwall, and the fact that some 10 days later this happened does question the morality and the mindset of some members of Devon and Cornwall police.”

Three weeks after Francis’s death, the force also referred itself to the police watchdog after footage emerged of Francis shouting “I can’t breathe” while three officers forcefully restrained him for around 13 minutes in a separate arrest in July 2019.

As one officer appeared to kneel on his back, a bystander is heard asking: “Do you really need that many officers on him?”

The force said that Francis – who has a 10-year-old child and moved from Birmingham to Torquay in 2004 – was taken “safe and well to prison”.

In reference to the sergeant’s suspension, Mr Jaddoo said: “With the emergence of the black lives matter protests clearly these actions speak for themselves.”

He added that the Francis family welcomes the IOPC investigation and trusts it will be thorough.

It was previously reported that the WhatsApp group involved other police officers – some of whom are also under investigation for their alleged response to the meme or apparent failure to report it.

The Independent can now reveal that the group was comprised exclusively of people who are or were in roles related to policing.

Two of those in the group are not employed by Devon and Cornwall Police and fall outside of the IOPC’s jurisdiction, but there is no indication of any criminality on their part, the watchdog said.

When the allegations came to light on 22 June – nearly a month later – the force said that the incident had “quickly brought to light internally by a member of staff [also on the group] and reported to a Devon and Cornwall Police manager”.

“A proactive referral was then made to the IOPC at the earliest opportunity”, it added.

However, when asked by The Independent to reveal how long it had taken for a staff member to report the incident, and for it to be referred to the IOPC, Devon and Cornwall Police refused to answer.

The force also refused to say whether or not the sergeant was still receiving full pay during his suspension.

“Credit must be given where it is due on the fact that a fellow police officer felt it their duty to report this,” said Mr Jaddoo, a community activist in Birmingham.

“I do believe that the chief constable and Devon and Cornwall police should now take stock in terms of their attitude towards members of the black community.”

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Nye previously said the force ”wholly appreciate the concern our communities will have regarding an investigation of this kind”, adding: “I would reassure them that I, and the chief constable, will do everything possible to ensure the matter is dealt with effectively and in a timely manner.

“It would be inappropriate to make any judgement or further comment at this stage, but is only right that we show openness and transparency with our communities on this matter, so will continue to work closely with the IOPC during the coming days and weeks.”

The IOPC has previously said Francis was arrested shortly before 1am in Exeter on 20 May and booked into custody at Torquay police station. He was “found unresponsive in his cell” and an ambulance was called, but he was pronounced dead at around 6pm that day.

A preliminary post-mortem examination did not identify a cause of death and further tests are being carried out.

Responding to the footage of his arrest in July 2019, during which he was surrounded by a group of around 10 law enforcement officials, Mr Jaddoo previously said it had “exacerbated his family’s grief” – but has made them “even more determined to get answers”.

An IOPC spokesperson said: “Our investigations into these matters are ongoing and we continue to keep Mr Francis’ family updated during the course of our investigation into his death.”

Further allegations of police officers displaying racist attitudes on social media were raised on Thursday as it emerged that Cambridgeshire Police had also referred itself to the watchdog over allegedly racist remarks posted in a WhatsApp exchange between a group of officers.

One officer reportedly posted a famous meme of British actor Kayode Ewumi knowingly pressing a finger to his temple while playing Reece Simpson in #HoodDocumentary, under which another officer wrote “monkey” and posted an image of a baby monkey, prompting another officer to write “lol”.

One has been suspended and two others placed on restricted duties. One BAME officer in the largely white group lodged an official complaint after his three children saw the message on his family mobile phone. The officers said the posts were a joke at the expense of a white female colleague and were “harmless fun”.

A Cambridge constabulary spokesperson said: “We take any allegations of this nature incredibly seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We are committed to ensuring all officers and staff act with the utmost integrity and professionalism.”