Unconscious Man Dies After Police Wait in Car During The Rain

Lachlan Campbell, known as Lachie, has died. Police officers left him unconscious in the rain. An inquest is now investigating his death. People found Lachie on his knees outside a train station. He was snoring with his face on the ground.

Someone called the police because they worried about him. Two officers, David Bishop and Daniel Baber, arrived. They thought Lachie was drunk. They watched him for 45 minutes, then left to handle another call.

The officers returned to their station for paperwork. They noticed it started raining, and went back to check on Lachie. He was still in the same spot, still snoring. They debated what to do with him.

The officers considered moving him, leaving him, or going to the hospital. Ultimately, they called for an ambulance instead. They waited in their car, while Lachie remained outside in the rain. Both officers no longer work for the police.

The inquest revealed Lachie used heroin that day. Bishop said they risked being “lumbered” with Lachie. They were dealing with two incidents simultaneously, and a domestic situation was more urgent.

Bishop said he felt okay leaving Lachie initially because he was breathing and snoring. They discussed moving him to a covered area and debated putting him in their car. Driving him to the hospital was also an option.

Bishop stated their car was too small for Lachie because he needed to sit up, not lie down. They needed permission to drive him to the hospital. He worried about restricting Lachie’s breathing in the car.

Bishop said calling for a police van was another option. He didn’t think to call his supervisor for advice. He and his partner stayed in their car, leaving Lachie outside in the rain. They monitored him through the window.

Bishop said Lachie’s breathing changed after 45 minutes. It became gasping, which indicated a lack of oxygen – what he means as “agonal breathing”. They called for another ambulance and a defibrillator.

Colleagues brought a defibrillator, and ambulance control told them to do CPR. An ambulance arrived, then another one came. Paramedics took over Lachie’s care. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Bishop now thinks they should have taken Lachie to the hospital. The ambulance they requested was far down the list. Baber thought the ambulance would arrive quickly.

Baber also said the police car was too confined, and Lachie would be unable to lie down. They then checked on Lachie from the car. He was still outside. They monitored his breathing while remaining inside the car.

The coroner asked Baber what could have been better. Baber said knowing the ambulance delay changes things. He thought an ambulance was बेहतर than the police car then, but now knows the car would have been better.

Superintendent Ian Thompson spoke at the hearing. He said police may transport people under the influence, though it’s not necessarily preferrable. There were missed opportunities.

Thompson felt transporting Lachie to the hospital lacked exploration. They knew the ambulance was greatly delayed. Police vehicle transportation requires exploration after other options.

A pathologist determined the cause of Lachie’s death. This included broncho-pneumonia and hypothermia, and combined drug toxicity and fatty liver disease also contributed. The inquest is expected to last three days.