The family of Sam Diatta, who died after being restrained in a York shop, have said his death could have been avoided.
Speaking after the conclusion of an inquest in Northallerton, they also paid tribute to Sam, 39, as a “lovely, gentle soul”.
North Yorkshire coroner Jon Heath concluded that Mr Diatta’s death did not amount to manslaughter, and was not an unlawful killing.
He recorded a narrative conclusion that Mr Diatta died as a consequence of naturally occurring heart disease combined with the effects of being restrained.
The inquest heard that Mr Diatta had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital four days before his death, and his family said they believed he was not well enough to be living in the community at the time.
In a statement read after the hearing by their barrister Parissa Najah, Mr Diatta’s parents George and Judy, and his sister Téba, said: “On the fateful day of Sam’s death he was suffering an acute mental health episode.
“He was restrained, face down on the floor for more than seven minutes, during which time he shouted: ‘I can’t breathe’. Tragically, those words were not heeded.
“Being restrained in that position, for so long, by several men was established by the coroner as being part of the medical cause of Sam’s death.
“The family remain convinced that Sam was not well enough to be living in the community in the days prior to his death, due to the concerns about his mental health and how it had deteriorated.
“Their view is reinforced by the fact that, just four days after his discharge from hospital, Sam lost his life in circumstances that could have been avoided.”
Téba Diatta said: “Sam wasn’t a bad person. He was having a really bad day due to his mental health, and he was a lovely, gentle soul.
“He was very forgiving. He was kind, he was loving, he was generous. We really miss him. And we just don’t want him to be remembered for an act of violence on a day that he was so poorly.”
She added: “We choose forgiveness, we don’t want to hold it against any of the people involved.”
‘Loved by all’
The family said when Mr Diatta was 20, he jumped into the River Ouse to save a woman who was trying to kill herself, and that heroic act was “typically him”.
After his death, Mr Diatta’s family said he was “a gentle giant, who was kind and generous and loved by all who met him”.
They said: “Sam was half Senegalese and his family in Senegal meant the world to him. He was a keen sportsman and supported both the England and Senegal football sides. He also played for York RI rugby team.
“Sadly, in his later teenage years Sam developed mental health issues which stayed with him throughout his life.
“He had a strong Christian faith and with two others led the Christian Union at York College.”
