Cardiff bike crash – latest: Nine arrested after Ely residents clash with police
Cardiff riots: Deputy chief reveals timeline of crash that killed two teens
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The police watchdog is investigating whether actions taken by officers involved in a road crash which killed two teenage boys in Cardiff[1] could be defined as a “pursuit”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was investigating four key questions about the actions of South Wales Police, including “whether at any time the decisions and actions of the officers in the police vehicle constituted a pursuit.”
The watchdog is also investigating the “appropriateness” of the police’s interaction with 16-year-old Kyrees Sullivan and 15-year-old Harvey Evans prior to the collision that killed them, and whether the interaction was “appropriately reported” by officers.
The IOPC investigation will also look at if the actions of South Wales Police were “in line with legislation, local and national policies and procedures.”
It comes as CCTV footage released on social media showed a police van following the boys minutes before they died on Snowden Road.
The force has said that a police van seen behind the two teenagers was half a mile away when the crash happened, and maintained there was no police vehicle on the road of the crash at the time.
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1685012438
Police watchdog appeals for Ely community to co-operate with investigation
The police watchdog has appealed for the community in Ely, Cardiff, to co-operate with its investigation into police contact with Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, before Monday’s fatal crash.
In a statement given on Wednesday,, Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) director for Wales David Ford said: “This was a tragic incident in which two boys lost their lives. We would like to once again express our sympathies to their families and friends, as well as all those affected by their deaths.
“We are not the police and our investigations are independent of the police. Our role is now to speak to members of the community and gather evidence, including CCTV and witness statements, to understand the circumstances leading up to the collision.
“This incident has had a profound impact on the local community and it is vitally important that the facts are established through a thorough and impartial investigation.
“Our investigative and community engagement work in the local area will continue for some time to come. Further updates will be provided as our investigation progresses.
“Upon conclusion of the investigation we will determine whether there is any indication that anyone serving with the police may have breached the standards of professional behaviour.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 12:00
ICYMI: Mother of one of boys whose deaths sparked riot in Cardiff begged yobs to stop
In case you missed it…
The mother of one of the teenagers whose deaths in a road accident sparked a riot begged the yobs to stop their violence – as her son’s body lay in the street where he died.
Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and 15-year-old Harvey Evans were killed in the Ely[4] area of Cardiff[5] while riding an electric bike.
Tensions reached breaking point after officers were called to the scene in Snowden Road shortly after 6pm on Monday.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 11:10
Police say timeline shows vehicle was in Grand Avenue
This is the timeline of events given by Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon:
“At 17.59.40 CCTV shows the bike travelling towards the police vehicle in Frank Road, the bike then turns around.
“18.00.52 the bike is then followed by the police vehicle. You can already see on CCTV images that there were no blue lights or sirens in use.
“18.01.18 police vehicle is at New Church Ely roundabout and travels through Archer Road, Stanway Road and Howell Road.
“18.02.31 police vehicle turns onto Grand Avenue.
“18.02.18-18.02.41 this is the approximate time of the road traffic collision that took place on Snowden Road. At the time of the collision, the police vehicle is in Grand Avenue, half a mile away from Snowden Road.”
She said: “This is a complex investigation and we had to be sure of the facts before confirming them. We have been busy obtaining witness accounts, analysing tracking data from police vehicles and studying CCTV, and this is what we know now.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 10:33
In pictures: Flowers and tributes left for two boys killed in car crash in Ely
Flowers and tributes left for the two teenagers in Ely, Cardiff, whose death in a car crash sparked a riot on Monday night.
(PA)
(PA)
(PA)
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 10:03
First minister to urge authorities to examine cause of violence
Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford said he was looking to hold a meeting with public authorities to see whether more could be done in the community of Ely following the disorder.
He said on Wednesday: “13,000 people live in Ely. It is larger than almost any Welsh town, so it’s an area which has a huge mix of people in it and what we saw on Monday in no way at all represents the bulk of people who live in that part of Cardiff.
“The events themselves, as we know, will be investigated by police.
“I hope myself to convene a meeting on Friday of main public authorities to look at not what happened on Monday night but the background of precipitating causes to see just what more we can do to give confidence to people on the estate, that the police have the resources they need to respond effectively and promptly to incidents that happen, and whether there is more that can be done to help young people growing up in that area.”
First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford
(PA Wire)
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 09:39
Witness describes seeing police pursuit of teenage boys
A witness has described seeing a police van following two teenagers on an electric bike minutes before they were killed in a collision.
The resident said she was walking to her local shops on Monday evening when she saw two boys riding a bike along Stanway Road in Ely[10], Cardiff[11], followed “seconds later” by the van.
She claimed she saw the van on the other side of the road as it passed her.
“They were on the other side of the road, and they took it wide,” the woman, who only wished to be called Leanne, said.
“It was faster than they normally go round here. If you’re coming round that corner – no lights and no sirens – how do I know you’re there?”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 09:14
Ely riots: A timeline of events
The deaths of two teenagers in a road accident minutes after they had been involved in a pursuit with police sparked rioting in the Ely[13] area of Cardiff[14].
Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in the incident on Monday evening while riding an electric bike.
Here is a timeline of events:
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 08:45
What happened in Cardiff on Monday night?
Police faced what they called “large scale disorder” after receiving reports of a collision on Snowden Road in Ely[16] around 6pm on Monday, with tensions reaching breaking point as cars were set on fire and fireworks were shot at officers.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 08:15
‘Our hearts are truly broken’: Families of ‘best friends’ killed in Cardiff crash pay tribute
The families of two teenage best friends killed in a crash in Cardiff that sparked riots have paid tribute, saying their “hearts are truly broken” as they pleaded for “peace within the community”.
Harvey Evans, 15, died alongside Kyrees Sullivan, 16, after the crash in the Ely area on Monday evening.
Video footage on social media appears to show the two boys on an electric bike being followed by a marked police van minutes before the fatal crash that prompted a riot hours later.[18]
Their families have now paid tribute to the boys, saying they were “loved by not only their families but by their community as well”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain25 May 2023 07:43
‘Police killed my son,’ says mother of e-bike crash victim
The mother of one of the teens who died in an e-bike crash in Cardiff has alleged that the police “killed” her son.
At a vigil for the boys last night, Belinda Sullivan, mother of Kyrees, told The Daily Telegraph: “The police killed my son. I’ve got nothing else to say.”
The South Wales Police have been under fire since the death of the two teenagers, who were allegedly chased by a police van. The deaths sparked riots in Cardiff on Monday.
Stuti Mishra25 May 2023 07:03
References
- ^ Cardiff (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685012438 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685009408 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Ely (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Cardiff (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685007211 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685005406 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685003951 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685002474 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Ely (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Cardiff (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1685000749 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Ely (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Cardiff (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1684998949 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Ely (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1684996982 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ that prompted a riot hours later. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1684994600 (www.independent.co.uk)