Three Devon and Cornwall Police officers to be investigated over man's death
The officers are being investigated for gross misconduct after a man died in the custody of police in Torquay earlier this year.
Last updated 26th Mar 2026
Three Devon and Cornwall Police officers are being investigated for gross misconduct by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after a man died in police custody.
On the 15th of January, Michael Carolan fell ill while in custody at Torquay police station and died at 5am having been transferred to hospital by an ambulance crew.
Mr Carolan had been reported missing by concerned family members at 9pm the previous evening and was found by officers in Paignton just less than an hour later. The 28-year-old was arrested and taken to Torquay police station.
The IOPC received a referral from the force soon after Mr Carolan died. They say their investigation will examine all the circumstances in the build-up to Mr Carolan’s death. This will include the decision to arrest, the nature and adequacy of searches carried out on Mr Carolan, risk assessments that were completed, observation levels while in custody, and the medical attention he received. They will also look at a complaint from Mr Carolan’s family in relation to how police communicated with them during his detention and after he died.
The IOPC have notified three police officers that they are under gross misconduct investigation for possible breaches of police professional standards regarding authority, respect and courtesy and duties and responsibilities. The notices relate to their interactions with Mr Carolan and the checks carried out on him during his detention. They say this will be kept under review throughout their enquiries.
IOPC Director, Derrick Campbell said: “My sympathies are with Mr Carolan’s family and friends and everyone affected by his death."
“We have met Mr Carolan’s family and explained our role and we are keeping them regularly updated as our investigation progresses. We are examining police actions in taking Mr Carolan into custody and the level of care provided to him during the period he was detained."
“We are independent of the police and it is important that we carry out an investigation to fully establish the circumstances when someone has died in police custody.”
The IOPC say they're gathering accounts from officers and staff involved, as well as reviewing CCTV from the custody suite and body-cam footage from officers who took part in Mr Carolan’s arrest and subsequent detention in custody.
They say the serving of gross misconduct notices does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow. Decisions on whether or not disciplinary proceedings should take place will be made at the end of their investigation.