Teenager who got out of ambulance was Tasered before being killed by car

A teenager who got out of an ambulance on a motorway was then Tasered by police before being hit by a car and killed, the police watchdog said.

Logan Smith, 18, from Weston-super-Mare, was being taken to hospital in an ambulance at 11pm on November 30 when the vehicle had to pull over on the hard shoulder of the M5 northbound carriageway, due to the concerns of staff on board.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Mr Smith got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and entered the live lanes of the motorway.

Ambulance staff called Avon and Somerset Police for assistance and a single-crewed officer arrived at the scene a short time later.

A spokesman for the IOPC said it was now investigating the “actions and decisions” taken by the police, prior to Mr Smith’s death.

“Body-worn video footage we have viewed shows the officer attempted to engage with Logan and a short time later discharged their Taser, causing Logan to fall to the ground,” he said.

“Soon afterwards, he was struck by a car travelling along the southbound carriageway. Despite being given emergency first aid, Logan sadly died at the scene.”

Following Mr Smith’s death, Avon and Somerset Police said the on-duty officer had attempted to bring him to safety to reduce the risk to him and other members of the public.

Derrick Campbell, director of the IOPC, said: “My thoughts and sympathies are with Logan’s family and friends and everyone affected by this shocking and tragic incident. 

“We want to reassure everyone that we will independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the use of a Taser.”

Mr Campbell confirmed that IOPC investigators had begun gathering evidence, with initial accounts taken from the officer and ambulance staff involved.

“We have taken initial accounts from the officer and ambulance staff involved,” he added.

“We met with Logan’s family on Tuesday, to give our condolences, explain our role and to provide some further detail about our investigation, including a Taser being discharged during the incident.

“We will continue to keep them updated and they request that their privacy be respected at such a difficult time.”

The IOPC said the coroner had been informed of Mr Smith’s death, with formal identification and a post-mortem examination having taken place.

Joanne Hall, assistant chief constable at Avon and Somerset Police, previously said the force’s thoughts were with Mr Smith’s family “at such a devastating time”.

“This incident has had a significant effect on our officers and ambulance crews who are understandably incredibly upset by what happened,” she said.

“As well as providing support to the man’s family, we are also making sure that the appropriate welfare arrangements are in place for our staff and also for those members of the public who were either directly involved or who witnessed the incident.”

Ms Hall added that a mandatory referral had been made to the IOPC by the force’s professional standards department, which it would “fully cooperate with”.