Officers won't be prosecuted after 38-year-old man dies in police custody in Oss

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has decided not to press charges against officers who arrested a 38-year-old man from Oss last year, who died soon after. The decision follows an internal investigation, and the autopsy concluded that drug use led to his death.

Police responded to a call about a suspicious incident at around 1:00 a.m. on the night of March 23, 2025, going to a home in Oss where a man was said to have entered the garage and vandalized it.

Although he resisted arrest, the man was taken into custody and brought to the police station in Oss, where he later fell ill and could not be revived. He passed away in the courtyard of the police station located on Raadhuislaan in Oss.

Investigators concluded that the man had used a designer drug, and it could not be determined whether efforts to restrain him played a role in his death. On that basis, prosecutors decided not to bring charges against the officers.

The investigation was conducted by the Rijksrecherche, a special investigative service that operates under the authority of the OM. Their report assessed the lawfulness of the police actions, including whether the use of force was proportionate and necessary, and whether it contributed to the man’s death.

The report noted that officers initiated CPR and summoned a trauma helicopter immediately when the man became unresponsive in the station courtyard. The OM cited this "adequate medical response" as evidence that the officers fulfilled their "duty of care" toward a person in their custody.