An anti-police vigil was held in Hackney at the weekend after a man died at Stoke Newington police station. 

The man, whose identity has not been revealed, sustained “critical injuries” after jumping from a telephone kiosk in the front office of the station on November 5 after which a suicide note was found, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Hackney Cop Watch, a neighbourhood crime-watch group, organised the community vigil to take place outside station. It was attended by a mix of concerned local residents and activists against police brutality. 

The outside of the station was covered in flowers and candles for the deceased as well as provocative questions taped to the windows of the station. 

A statement on Hackney Cop Watch’s Twitter said: “We gather together for the man who died in Stoke Newington Police Station. We want to see an end to all killings enabled by the state and in state custody. We will not leave our neighbours behind.”

According to the organisation, police officers were seen creating a tarpaulin tunnel from the station to a police van on the night of the death.

The concern within the community caused the police to release a statement on Twitter saying the death was not considered “suspicious”.

Hackney Police then tweeted that the victim involved was a 68-year-old white male, and a suicide note was found. 

In a statement on 6 November, Metropolitan Police said: “The man had not been arrested or taken to the police station by officers.”

The police statement also corroborated Hackney Cop Watch’s claims that the man had been seen going in and out of the police station’s front office since 9:00 am that morning. A reason for this was not provided by the police.

Hackney Cop Watch told Eastlondonlines: “The community wants an investigation into what happened to our neighbour.”

Hackney Cop Watch claimed in a statement that, based on their observations outside the station that night, the police showed signs of negligence.

They said: “We know that an ambulance came to the scene shortly after the man died and then left again, leaving him lying dead in the station for hours and hours.”

According to an Inquest report in 2021 there had been 1,839 reported deaths within police custody in the UK since 1990.