Queensland's state coroner has ruled that police officers acted appropriately in the arrest of a Kamilaroi man who subsequently died of a cardiac arrest.
Ashley Charles Washington was 31 years old and suffering from poor mental health in December 2020 when police were called to attend a reported break in at a home in Toowoomba.
Mr Washington was found in a nearby street by Senior Constable Jamie Williams, and tasered six times by the officer during the course of a violent arrest.
After being administered with a sedative by attending paramedics, Mr Washington suffered a cardiac arrest and later died at Toowoomba Base Hospital.
Following a three-day inquest last year, Coroner Terry Ryan delivered his report into the death in custody last week, making no adverse findings against the officers involved.
"For [SC Williams'] safety and the safety of civilians on the street he continued the Taser cycles, not wanting to use lethal force," Coroner Ryan wrote.
"I conclude that SC Williams’ actions were appropriate in the circumstances."
A musician and father, Ashley 'loved and missed by family'
Appearing before the inquiry last year, Mr Washington's mother, Coral Washington, described her son as a 'mum's boy' who had struggled with his mental health since he was a teenager.
His family told of an engaged and loving family member who looked out for his siblings, and struggled with the separation from his young daughter that followed a period of incarceration.
Suffering anxiety, depression and chronic pain, Mr Washington had prescriptions for several medications at the time of his death, including Quetiapine, an antipsychotic.
Ms Washington said her son had been in a state of psychosis when she saw him two days before his death.
On December 13, 2020, Mr Washington was discovered outside a Toowoomba house by the property's owner, in possession of items from inside.
Following an altercation with the homeowner, Mr Washington fled, but was discovered by police a short later in a seemingly incoherent state.
SC Williams deployed a police dog on to Mr Washington, who stabbed the animal with scissors he was carrying, causing it to flee.
In an attempt to subdue him, the officer, who also sustained injuries from the scissors, punched Mr Washington and then deployed his Taser a total of six times.
Five more officers appeared on the scene and together they restrained the Kamilaroi man by pinning him to the road.
Paramedics attended and administered a sedative, shortly after which Mr Washington became unresponsive, eventually going into cardiac arrest while in the ambulance.
Despite the application of CPR, he died in hospital within the hour.
Cause of death unknown
Due to the contributing factors, including the presence of prescription and illegal drugs in Mr Washington's system, as well as an existing heart condition, a cause of death was ultimately not determined.
Coroner Ryan said in his report that he accepted an expert submission during the inquest that paramedics' assessment of Mr Washington was "less than optimal".
"[They] collectively failed to appropriately initiate and continually assess and observe Ashley to the requisite level based on his clinical presentation," he said.
Mr Washington's family said they believed a "lack of leadership" during the arrest was responsible for the poor communication which led to paramedics missing the initial signs of cardiac arrest.
"While it is not clear that there were any impediments to communication on the night of Ashley’s death, I am satisfied that the [Queensland Police Service] and [Queensland Ambulance Service] are actively working together to address the concerns of the family."
