Deceased
Pierino Taranto
Demographics
65y, male
Date of death
2017-11-15
Finding date
2020-06-17
Cause of death
Traumatic high cervical spine injury in the setting of frontal head impact in a man with ankylosing spondylitis
AI-generated summary
A 65-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis died from traumatic cervical spine injury after being arrested for public drunkenness by a single-officer police patrol. During arrest and transportation to the police vehicle, while handcuffed, the deceased tripped over the sergeant's leg and fell forward striking his head and face. His pre-existing condition causing vertebral fusion made him highly vulnerable to severe injury from minimal force. The fall caused C2 and C5/6 vertebral fractures with spinal compression and subarachnoid haemorrhage, resulting in respiratory arrest. The coroner found the arrest decision justified, the use of handcuffs appropriate, and Sergeant Farrell's account credible and supported by medical evidence. The working 'one up' (single officer) practice was noted as not directly causal to the death.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Drugs involved
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