Mappin & Webb customer dies after suspected jeweler robbery: Police arrest three raid suspects
- A Mappin & Webb customer dies after suspected robbery in York yesterday
- Police say a 39-year-old man has died after a jeweller’s ‘malfunction’
- Three men were arrested and released on bail in connection with the incident
A customer in his thirties died after a suspected ‘robbery’ at a luxury jewelery store in York.
Three men, two in their 40s and one in their 50s, were arrested and later released on bail in connection with the incident.
Police were called to Mappin & Webb, Coney Street, at around 4.40pm on July 26, following multiple reports of a ‘outage’.
North Yorkshire Police said a man was being held by shop assistants and members of the public when they arrived.
A spokesman said: “Unfortunately, the man named Samuel Diatta, 39 years old and from York, began to develop medical problems and was taken to York District Hospital where he sadly died shortly after 6.40pm.”
A medical investigation is underway into the cause of death.
They confirmed that he was first taken to hospital by ambulance before he was later sadly pronounced dead.
A man who was shopping at luxury jewelry store Mappin & Webb (pictured) has died after a suspected robbery in York yesterday
Three men have been arrested and released on bail as investigation continues
A spokesperson for the company, which sells watches from exclusive brands such as Rolex and Breitling, said: “We can confirm that there was an incident at our Mappin and Webb showroom in York on Tuesday, July 26.
“Our thoughts are with the client’s family at this time. We assist the police in the investigation and support our colleagues and customers.’
Joanne Irvine, 53, manager of a nearby Cancer Research UK store, said she noticed police sirens next to the store stocking Rolex around 4.40pm yesterday.
She said: ‘I’ve never seen the police act like that, so I knew it was serious. They screamed and it was words like, ‘Go to the ground! Get to the ground!’
“I just thought of it as a thief, and they’d tried to make a fugitive and leave, but it wasn’t good for the police. You could see it in their faces. It was serious.’
Joanne decided to lock up her shop when the situation became more worrying and was later told it was an attempted robbery.
She added: “My heart goes out to them. It is traumatic to know that someone has died on the spot. You can’t imagine what was going through their minds. They must have been terrified.
“York is such a beautiful place. It’s a diverse place and it’s an upscale, affluent area and a very historic area.
‘When you realize the seriousness of today, you cannot comprehend it. It’s absolutely shocking, and it’s worrying that this could happen in such a beautiful place.”
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Steve Menzies of the North Yorkshire Police Major Investigation Team said: ‘This is a very tragic incident. The three men arrested in connection with the charges have been questioned and released on bail pending the results of police and medical investigations.
“Samuel’s family is supported by specially trained officers and I would like to ask that their privacy be respected so that they have time to mourn their loss.
“I am also aware that there has been some misreporting of what happened which is troubling to the family. We ask that people do not speculate or spread false information. However, it is important that we speak to anyone who witnessed this incident, or who saw Mr Diatta just before the incident.”