Radiohead issued an official statement regarding the inquest into the death of their drum technician Scott Johnson. Johnson, age 33 at the time, died in 2012 at the band’s performance at Toronto’s Downsview Park when the stage roofing buckled and fell. Seven years later, an Ontario inquest has wrapped up hearings into the death and the causes of the tragedy. 

The five person jury from the case returned with a set of non-binding recommendations. This led to the Ontario coroner’s office issuing 28 recommendations for preventing future deaths at temporary performance venues. However, no company was herd responsible for the death in 2012. 

The statement from the band is as follows: 

“The Inquest into the death of our friend and crew member, Scott Johnson, has now concluded. The Inquest itself was conducted in a constructive, thorough and fair-minded way. It revealed the negligence and failings that led to Scott’s death. A verdict of Accidental Death was returned, which feels frustratingly insufficient given that the stage collapse was shown to be preventable. The Jury have made sound and practical recommendations to prevent such an accident happening again and to ensure the future safety of show crews and audiences. It’s up to all of us now to make sure that these recommendations are implemented. We’d like to express our gratitude to the Coroner’s Office and the Jury for their tireless work in the Inquest. Our love and respect go out to Ken and Sue Johnson, Scott’s parents. He will be forever in our thoughts.”

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat