An inquiry has been initiated regarding the demise of a muscle builder who engaged in a brief confrontation with law enforcement. Craig Clegg, aged 49, was apprehended by officers of Merseyside Police after they responded to concerns about his well-being. Details revealed during a preliminary review in May last year indicated that Mr. Clegg was visibly distressed and moving from one residence to another before the police intervened following multiple emergency calls from worried residents in the vicinity.

Police officers reached his residence in Lydiate, Sefton, around 10:45 pm on September 16, 2024. The former senior coroner for Sefton St Helens and Knowsley, Julie Goulding, described the police’s arrival and the subsequent brief physical altercation that led to Mr. Clegg’s detention.

Referring to a Home Office post-mortem report from the previous year, Ms. Goulding mentioned, “Upon reviewing body camera footage, a brief scuffle occurred between the officers and Mr. Clegg,” who passed away later that night.

During a hearing at Bootle Town Hall today, an inquest into the death was opened. Discussions are ongoing regarding the scheduling of a full inquest, with current coroner Elizabeth Wheeler adjourning the case to a later unspecified date.

This development followed Ms. Goulding’s observation that there was no evidence of officers kneeling on Mr. Clegg or using a headlock, with police restraint not deemed a significant factor contributing to his death. Ms. Goulding highlighted this information from the post-mortem report.

She further stated, “The evidence indicates that police officers collaborated to perform CPR until the arrival of paramedics.” Mr. Clegg was transported from the scene in Lydiate to Aintree University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Liverpool Echo.

An examination of the death concluded that Mr. Clegg’s passing resulted from complications related to cocaine toxicity. Ms. Wheeler classified the death as unnatural, necessitating the holding of an inquest.

Following Mr. Clegg’s demise, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) initiated an investigation due to his interaction with officers immediately before his death.

The IOPC informed the ECHO in January last year that it had completed its investigation into Merseyside Police’s involvement in the incident. Ms. Goulding mentioned during the pre-inquest review last year that the investigator’s report did not identify any lessons or enhancements.

When asked to provide feedback on the investigation’s conclusion at the start of last year, the IOPC declined, stating that it would disclose findings after the inquest into Mr. Clegg’s death.

In a statement, his family expressed, “Craig’s family demands a comprehensive investigation and hopes that all involved parties, including Merseyside Police and North West Ambulance Service, are willing to thoroughly assess the response to the medical emergency experienced by Craig on the day of his passing.”

Clegg had previously achieved victory in the over-45s North West bodybuilding competition and was a regular participant in amateur bodybuilding contests.