IN MARCH 1996, Ibrahima Sey, a 29 year old Gambian was arrested in Forest Gate and taken to Ilford police station.
Two weeks after tests of the spray began, he was sprayed with the gas whilst laying face down in the police station with his hands cuffed behind his back.
A year and a half later the inquest decided that he was unlawfully killed. The Crown Prosecution Service still has not even decided whether any of the officers concerned will eyen face charges.
Shortly after the result of the Inquest, Jack Straw announced that he had looked at the evidence and was confident CS spray was safe, and will continue to be used. The only evidence that has been given to support this claim is tests of CS gas held in Derry 26 years ago. These tests were conducted in open air aimed at "dealing with public disorder". The report stated that the principle danger was where CS gas was used in confined spaces.
The CS Spray currently being used by police has not been tested in conjunction with its solvent Mik, and is in a much more concentrated form (in fact it is 25 times stronger than that used in a number of US states, which have also resulted in deaths).
In addition to pursuing Ibrahima's case and demanding that the officers concerned be brought to justice, the Ibrahima Sey Memorial Campaign