A 15-year-old boy died after his electric motorbike and an ambulance collided - seconds after police started to pursue him down a residential road. Saul Cookson died in hospital of injuries sustained in the crash, despite the best efforts of paramedics and doctors. His inquest on Tuesday heard Saul had been subject of a "covert following" by two officers in a marked police patrol vehicle moments before the smash.
Neither Greater Manchester Police officer can be named due to "operational issues" so they were referred to as E7 and D5 during their appearances at the inquest. Officer E7 said the e-bike caught his attention as they were "frequently used by people committing crime" so he and D5 began to tail the teenager.
Saul was knocked off the vehicle upon impact with the ambulance in Salford, Greater Manchester. The jury at the inquest in nearby Bolton must decide whether the officers' following of Saul fell into the category of "covert following" or "initial pursuit" as it is argued the latter may have disproportionate.
Officer E7 said he believed the kind of electric motorcycle Saul was riding was commonly used for illicit purposes, and so it was necessary to follow the teen. He added: "I know they're frequently used by people committing crime and I knew at that time Salford were having particular issues with those bikes. Not only that but they were a national issue... I remember it being a hot day and the rider appeared to be dressed all in black in a track suit and was wearing a face covering.".
