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Man Dies After Restraint at Luxury Jeweler
7 Jul
Summary
- Man died after seven minutes of restraint by three individuals.
- Incident occurred at a luxury Mappin & Webb jewellery store.
- Restraint position was a significant factor in the man's death.
An inquest has revealed that Sam Diatta, 39, died after being restrained for about seven minutes at a Mappin & Webb jewellery store in York city centre. Diatta had entered the store demanding "three free watches" in exchange for photographing them for his TikTok followers.
When a security guard asked him to speak with head office, Diatta became aggressive, punching the guard and then being restrained by the guard and a shopper. He was held face down on the floor until police arrived, a position the inquest heard restricted his breathing and contributed to his death. Pathologists stated that the pressure during restraint was a "significant contributory factor."
Diatta, who had a history of bipolar disorder, asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure, was pronounced dead at York Hospital approximately an hour after the incident on July 26, 2022. Four men arrested in connection with his death were not further prosecuted.
