Death in custody: Pierino Taranto injured during arrest in Box Hill

A handcuffed man fell and hit his face on the ground while being arrested by Box Hill police for public drunkenness. Hours later he died from his injuries. A Coroner has finally determined how it happened.

Mr Taranto died at Box Hill Hospital hours after the incident.

A man suffered fatal injuries when he was arrested by Box Hill police in 2017, dying in hospital hours after being taken into custody.

But police were not at fault during the events that led to Pierino Taranto’s death, a Coroner has finally ruled.

Coroner Jacqui Hawkins noted “police arrests had never been given such intense public scrutiny” as now, pointing to the unrest in the US, when handing down her findings on June 17.

Mr Taranto was known to was in the bathrooms at Box Hill Central.

Mr Taranto died from a spinal injury about 1.30am on November 15, 2017, when police were called after he was seen drunk and causing trouble in Hopetoun Ave, Box Hill, about 8.43pm on November 14.

The 65-year-old had reportedly been there for days, known to visit the street on a semi-regular basis to drink outside his former home.

He was believed to be homeless, regularly using the bathrooms at Box Hill Central to wash.

Sergeant Alistair Farrell, who was working alone, responded to the call.

He found Mr Taranto leaning against a fence, before Mr Taranto walked further down the street and Sgt Farrell tried to speak to him.

Mr Taranto gave “no response of value” and seemed drunk, not showing his ID as asked, before he started shaking a fence and yelling about who had called police.

Sgt Farrell told Mr Taranto he was under arrest and handcuffed him without issue, according to the report.

Mr Taranto reportedly said “f*cking police” as he was walked to the police car, but physically co-operated, before he refused to sit down.

He then turned and changed direction unexpectedly, while Sgt Farrell was holding his bicep, and tripped over the officer’s leg, falling onto the nature strip on his face.

He became unresponsive and his nose was indented and bleeding.

Sgt Farrell immediately removed the handcuffs and put Mr Taranto in the recovery position, calling for help.

Mr Taranto was worked on at the scene by paramedics, before being taken to Box Hill Hospital about 9.36pm, where he later died.

He never regained consciousness.

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The Coroner’s report found while he died from the high cervical spine injury caused by falling on the front of his head, he had an underlying condition, ankylosing spondylitis.

Patients with this condition have a deformity in their spine, and much less force than usual is needed for them to sustain fractures.

Sgt Farrell told the inquest he had not considered Mr Taranto to be a physical threat, saying he had not applied any force, because he didn’t think he needed to.

With no witnesses or CCTV available, Ms Hawkins’ findings had to based off his testimony, police communication records and the medical examination.

Ms Hawkins said she was satisfied Sgt Farrell’s evidence was truthful, with his statement of events supported by the post-mortem.

“I find the medical evidence supports that Mr Taranto’s underlying medical condition of ankylosing spondylitis meant that he suffered fatal injuries to his cervical spine, with very little force,” she said.