Father of man fatally hit by police car in Peacehaven says he is yet to receive apology

Arthur Holscher-Ermert was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on the A259 in Peacehaven on Saturday, April 30.

Police said the 27-year-old was in the road when he sustained serious injuries being hit by a police vehicle near the junction of Dorothy Avenue.

Flowers and tributes in memory of Arthur Holscher-Ermert in Peacehaven

Arthur’s father Professor Jens Holscher, the head of department for economics at Bournemouth University, claims he has not received an apology from Sussex Police.

Professor Holsher told the MailOnline: “It is so difficult to comprehend – I cannot believe it.

“I cannot understand what is happening at the moment. We are so disturbed – that is my little son and nothing is being done.

A man was killed after being hit by a police car on the A259 in Peacehaven on Saturday, April 30

“We believe there is a serious fault on the police side and we will take legal action immediately.

“We haven’t even had an apology – how low can you get? We want him [the officer responsible] taken off the street.”

The 60-year-old academic added that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) told him the officer who was driving the car has not been suspended from duty.

Arthur Holscher-Ermert

An eyewitness, who was having a cigarette outside a pub 200 feet away, said he saw police try to handcuff Arthur as he lay face down in a pool of his own blood.

“A black BMW and a blue Audi came round the corner and straight away I said, ‘there’s the Old Bill’. Their blue lights came on and the BMW hit this bloke,” he said.

“They must’ve been going about 30mph. The bloke was halfway across the road.”

The witness, who gave his name as Matt, said he and his friends ran to find Arthur lying in the road as police restrained him, before filming the incident.

“He was rolling around on the floor in pain and in shock. There was a pool of blood around him, and they were still trying to cuff him.

“My friend held his head until he died. I had to stop filming because the guy just died in front of me.

“I felt sick that night and couldn’t sleep.”

In one video, it sounds like Arthur can be heard crying out in pain. In another, a man can be heard shouting: “You’ve killed the man, you’ve killed the man.”

A source close to Arthur said he was suspected of having been driving without insurance.

Sussex Police have not directly addressed the account of using handcuffs.

Police said as the incident involved a police vehicle, the matter has been referred to the IOPC, who will carry out an independent investigation.

An IOPC spokesman said: “We have begun an independent investigation into police actions prior to a fatal road traffic collision involving a pedestrian. A man in his 20s sadly died at the scene.

“We were notified of the incident by Sussex Police and sent investigators to the scene and the police post incident procedures to begin our enquiries. Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time.”