Overview
- A marked Cleveland Police Armed Response Vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat driving the wrong way on the A66 at South Bank, killing PC Matthew Blades, PC Tom Clough and five people in the Passat on Saturday 22 August.
- Inquests opened this week provisionally recorded that both officers died from head and neck injuries as authorities continue to establish the full sequence of events.
- Cleveland Police says about 24 people have been arrested during a broad crackdown that used ANPR and other material to link vehicles and suspected organised activity, with four men held on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life and questioned over arson and a drugs offence.
- The Independent Office for Police Conduct has an active, independent review and has obtained pursuit footage and incident logs while national units and specialist teams are supporting local detectives.
- Community tributes have played out at football matches, the Cleveland Police Federation appeal has raised over £1.1 million for the officers’ families, and more than 200 extra officers have been deployed across Teesside to support public safety and investigations.