The family of MMA fighter Connor Hitchens questions police actions before his tragic death in Blackpool last year
Blackpool: The family of Connor Hitchens, a well-known MMA fighter, is really worried about how the police handled things before he was found dead. This came up during a pre-inquest review.
Connor, who was a champion in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, died on May 16 last year. The review revealed that police were called just before 6 AM that day about an incident involving him.
Sadly, two and a half hours later, Connor was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. The Senior Coroner, Alan Wilson, mentioned that the family is questioning whether the police did enough to help Connor that morning.
He said they might need to hear from the two officers who interacted with Connor to understand what happened. The inquest will also include testimony from a pathologist and Connor’s partner, Becky Morton, about his behavior that day.
The officers will have to explain what they knew about Connor’s whereabouts and what actions they took. The coroner pointed out that there seems to be a concern that the police underestimated the need to save Connor’s life.
There was also a mention of an inspector who spoke to Connor on the phone during that critical time. Connor’s family is worried about the inspector’s training for handling such situations. A date for the final inquest is still to be determined, but it’s expected to last a day.
After Connor’s passing, his mom, Jo, shared her heartbreak online, saying he would be deeply missed and that he brought joy to everyone around him. Kerrith Brown, president of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, expressed sadness over Connor’s death and praised his contributions to the sport.
It’s a tough time for everyone who knew Connor, and the family is just looking for answers.
