Court probes police actions in custody death of artist Kristian Stock

The death of a man in custody after he became unresponsive during police restraint has prompted inquiry into the two arresting officers.

A coronial investigation into Kristian Stock’s death is set to probe the two arresting officer’s interaction with the 43-year-old artist. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A man who died in custody after becoming unresponsive when officers tried to restrain him for almost three minutes was hours earlier allowed to walk from a police station appearing drug-affected and bleeding from his ear, a court has heard.

A coronial investigation into Kristian Stock’s death is set to probe the two arresting officer’s interaction with the 43-year-old artist in Brunswick on June 6 – and any missed opportunities that could have prevented his death in the lead up to his arrest.

The Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday that police were called to the intersection of Sydney Rd and Albert St about 9.30pm to assist paramedics who were trying to treat the man but he kept running off into traffic.

Lindsay Spence, counsel assisting Coroner Audrey Jamieson, told the court when officers arrived with flashing lights and sirens, Mr Stock tried to run away while mumbling incoherently.

Police were called to the intersection of Sydney Rd and Albert St to assist paramedics. Picture: David Geraghty

He was taken to the ground and held prone on the road surface, Mr Spence said, with the two officers trying to put his hands behind his back to cuff him.

Mr Stock resisted, with one officer trying to control his upper body, while another his legs.

One of the officers then sprayed Mr Stock with OC spray, while Fire Rescue Victoria members helped to restrain him.

Mr Spence said two minutes and 48 seconds after the physical interaction began, Mr Stock was found to be unresponsive.

“It is unclear the precise time he became unresponsive,” Mr Spence said.

A defibrillator was applied and CPR commenced, but a CT scan on his arrival at Royal Melbourne Hospital raised concerns of a global hypoxic brain injury.

He died on June 10 after his life support was switched off.

Mr Spence said they were still awaiting the results of an autopsy surrounding the cause of death.

But preliminary toxicology testing showed he had amphetamine, opioids and cannabinoids in his system.

Mr Stock died on June 10 after his life support was turned off. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The court heard of Mr Stock’s movements in the 10 hours before his arrest, including how he was observed punching holes in the walls as he left his Albert St apartment complex about 12.13pm.

He soon after attended his local Woolworths, where a staff member contacted police to conduct a welfare check on him as they observed he was “mostly incoherent” and bleeding from his right ear.

When police arrived, Mr Stock could not be found.

Another resident in the complex he lived claimed they saw him on the floor in the ground-level foyer slurring his words around 1pm.

At 2.53pm, Mr Stock attended alone at Brunswick police station and spoke to an officer, who assessed him as being “significantly affected by drugs” and bleeding from the ear.

During his 30 minutes at the station, he complained to the officer about his housemate having people over who were trashing the Albert St apartment and refusing to leave.

The constable advised him to return home and call Triple 0 if there were any further issues.

Before Mr Stock left at 3.23pm, the officer said he declined her offer to call an ambulance and said he would get a tram home.

CCTV indicated he made it home, where only a female was present asleep on the couch.

At 8.43pm, he left his apartment for the final time, alone and wearing an oversized T-shirt and pants, with only rainbow-coloured socks covering his feet.

The court heard he had no prior criminal history, but had a history of polysubstance abuse.

His most serious interaction with police before this was a traffic infringement for drug-driving in November 2020.