Officers “made every effort” to get medical care for a man who died after being restrained by officers for more than an hour.
Krystian Kilkowski died a drug-related death in hospital after an amphetamine-induced acute behavioural disturbance – hours after suffering complications while police restrained him.
The 32-year-old had been detained by officers under the Mental Health Act after members of the public alerted officers to his “erratic behaviour” outside his home in Cotman Close in Diss.
Police raised the alarm with other emergency services, but after Mr Kilkowski fled he had to be chased down and restrained while medical help could be found.
The jury of a four-week inquest into his death concluded there had been “serious failures in the method” of Mr Kilkowski’s restraint, which saw him held to the ground for more than an hour while officers waited for medical assistance to arrive.
But after the hearing, Simon Megicks, deputy chief constable of Norfolk Constabulary, highlighted the complexity of the situation the officers faced in dealing with the situation.
He said: “This is a tragic case in which a man lost his life, and our thoughts remain with Mr Kilkowski’s family and friends.
“Our officers were faced with a very challenging situation which was recognised by expert evidence at the inquest to be among the most difficult and complex any police officer or even a clinician can face.
“Officers suspected Mr Kilkowski to be under the influence of drugs and suffering a mental health episode, and understood he needed urgent professional medical care.
“Officers at the scene and the force control room made every effort to get Mr Kilkowski the help he needed, calling the ambulance service six times.
“The jury found that operational failure by the East of England Ambulance Service resulted in significant delay of critical care.”
The deputy chief added that Mr Kilkowski had to be detained under the act “for his safety and that of others”.
He added: “Due to the delay in medical care arriving at the scene, he was restrained for a prolonged period of time while displaying ‘agitation and extreme strength’.
“We will of course be considering carefully, the jury’s detailed findings to explore whether there are any opportunities for learning.”
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