The IOPC has directed the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards to investigate how the force handled the case after the death of 44-year-old Nicholas Brandram, who was suspected of involvement in the 2017 "Putney Pusher" incident. Brandram was found dead at his London home on 15 September; his family say he took his own life amid pressure from the investigation. The watchdog has asked the Met to review the necessity and proportionality of the arrest, media engagement and welfare considerations, and requires the final report be submitted to the IOPC even if no misconduct is found.
IOPC Orders Probe Into Met's Handling Of 'Putney Pusher' Arrest After Suspect's Death
Nicholas Brandram was under police investigation over the 2017 incident [Family handout]
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has instructed the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) to investigate how the force handled its inquiry linked to the death of Nicholas Brandram, a 44-year-old man who had been a suspect in the so-called "Putney Pusher" case.
Mr Brandram was found dead at his London home on 15 September. His family say he took his own life and have blamed the "immense pressure" of being subject to a police investigation.
What the IOPC has requested
After receiving a mandatory referral from the Met, the IOPC reviewed the circumstances and concluded a formal probe was required. The watchdog asked the DPS to consider several specific areas, including:
- the necessity and proportionality of the arrest;
- how the Met engaged with the media;
- what welfare considerations were made for Mr Brandram; and
- whether relevant Met policy was followed.
"After carefully considering the referral, we have decided that an investigation is required and that the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards should conduct it," the IOPC said. It added that if the Met's investigation finds no potential misconduct, the final report must still be submitted to the IOPC for review.
Background and reaction
Brandram was arrested in June on suspicion of attempted grievous bodily harm in connection with an incident on Putney Bridge in May 2017, when video footage appears to show a jogger pushing a woman into the path of an approaching bus. The woman narrowly avoided being struck; the bus driver later told the Sunday Times: "If I hadn't swerved, I would have smashed her head." Detectives identified more than 50 people of interest following the incident.
The Met says the link to Brandram came after someone provided information in April that opened new lines of inquiry. The family have said there is no forensic evidence tying him to the incident, and they insist he was not the person seen in the footage. The force also says it did not publicly name Brandram at the time of his arrest or prior to his death.
Ch Supt Dan Knowles acknowledged the impact of being the subject of a police inquiry, saying he recognised "the strain that being subject to a police investigation can cause to individuals and their families," and confirmed the DPS will carry out the review requested by the IOPC.
The original Met investigation into the Putney Bridge incident was closed in 2018 after three men were arrested and released without charge, but the force says inquiries have remained open.
If the DPS investigation uncovers evidence of potential misconduct, the matter will remain with the IOPC for further scrutiny; if not, the report will still be submitted to the IOPC for independent review as requested.
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