Mother Demands Answers After 14-Year-Old Autistic Boy With Heart Condition Dies Following Police Visit

The grieving mother of a 14-year-old boy with autism and a heart condition is demanding answers after her son suddenly collapsed and died shortly after police officers came to the family home.

Leo Gurr died on June 21 after, according to his mother Shannon Gurr, he became frightened by officers knocking on the front door and windows and calling his name before running from the house barefoot.

Around an hour later, Leo was found collapsed in a cut-through behind the family home in Southampton. Paramedics attempted to save him, but he was pronounced dead at 12.29pm.

A coroner is preparing an inquest to establish the exact medical cause of death.

Police visit before Leo ran from home

Officers arrived at the family’s home on Binstead Close shortly after 11am as part of enquiries into an alleged slapping incident at a nearby park several weeks earlier.

Shannon said Leo had been mistakenly identified in connection with the incident and was later cleared.

She was contacted by police and returned home minutes later. According to Shannon, she told officers that her son was frightened and would come back once he had calmed down.

Leo was inside the property with his younger brothers, Shae and Tommy. Shannon says he panicked and ran out through the back door without putting on shoes.

She said officers told her they only wanted to speak to him and offer “advice.”

But Shannon later questioned whether the way officers approached the house was appropriate given her son’s condition.

“They were heavy-handed, banging on the door and window, and shouting Leo’s name,” she said. “It was known about his heart condition.”

She believes Leo’s autism and ADHD contributed to what she described as a fight-or-flight response.

“He was absolutely petrified,” she said.

A diagnosis that changed Leo’s life

Leo had been diagnosed with a heart condition after he was involved in a minibus crash in January while riding an e-scooter.

His mother said the diagnosis led to an official medical care plan and changes to his lifestyle, including regular medication.

According to Shannon, the plan warned that emotional stress and adrenaline could trigger serious complications, including cardiac arrest or a heart attack.

She therefore believes officers should have been aware of his medical history.

“They were well aware of his heart condition, and that’s why it was on file,” Shannon said.

She also questioned why police had not called ahead before coming to the house.

“It wasn’t a normal thing for police to knock at the door – they could’ve called first and said can we come have a chat?” she said.

‘I just knew’ when she saw his socks

Shannon said she arrived home roughly 10 minutes after the officers, unaware that Leo had fled.

She expected her son to return once he had calmed down.

More than an hour after he ran away, at 12.17pm, passersby discovered Leo collapsed a couple of hundred yards from his home and called an ambulance.

A neighbour then rushed to Shannon’s house with the news that a young boy was receiving CPR nearby.

Shannon ran to the scene.

She said the moment she saw Leo’s white socks, she knew it was her son because he had left the house without shoes.

Paramedics were working to revive him in the heat.

“I was sponging him down as they gave him CPR,” Shannon said.

She stressed that she did not blame the ambulance crew, praising them for their efforts to save Leo.

“They were working on him for a long time – I can’t say they didn’t try because they did. The ambulance crew did an amazing job.”

Leo was taken to hospital, accompanied by his mother.

Around 20 minutes after arriving, Shannon said she was told to hold her son’s hand as doctors prepared to switch off the machine supporting him.

Mother raises questions over bodycam footage

Shannon is also demanding answers about the officers’ body-worn cameras.

She said she was shown footage that allegedly showed two officers knocking on the window and calling Leo’s name, while also appearing to capture him inside the property.

According to Shannon, the cameras were then switched off as Leo fled.

She is now planning to submit her own complaint to the independent police watchdog.

“I just want the full picture of what happened – my son has died because of this,” Shannon said.

Police and watchdog found no misconduct

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said officers had visited Leo’s address as part of enquiries into an unrelated assault investigation.

The force confirmed that the officers’ body-worn video was considered as part of the subsequent review.

Police said the footage showed that officers received no response at the property and had no information indicating Leo was inside.

The matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which determined that no further investigation or action was required.

The force also conducted an internal Death or Serious Injury review. It said the review found no evidence of criminality or misconduct by the officers involved.

Although no organisational changes were considered necessary, two officers were given individual learning points as part of their continuing professional development. The IOPC reviewed and agreed with those recommendations.

The force said its thoughts remained with Leo’s family, friends and everyone affected by his death.

For Shannon, however, the questions remain. As the coroner prepares to establish the precise medical cause of Leo’s death, she continues to seek a complete account of what happened during the police visit and the moments before her son ran from home.