Death of Sheku Bayoh explained

Sheku Ahmed Tejan Bayoh (30 September 1983 – 3 May 2015) died after being restrained by police in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. His death sparked controversy, and an independent government inquiry following a police investigation.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Life

Bayoh was born in Sierra Leone.[7] In 1995 he fled to the United Kingdom as an unaccompanied child to escape civil war in Sierra Leone. After living in London for five years, he moved to Fife, Scotland at the invitation of his sister, who had lived there since the 1990s. At the time of his death, Bayoh was training to be a gas engineer.[8] He was a father to two sons.[9]

Death

On the morning of 3 May 2015, Bayoh visited a friend's house to watch TV.[10] His friends noticed he was acting out of character, after taking a cocktail of drugs including MDMA and Flakka. He thereafter left their property and headed to his home address. When he returned home, a fight broke out between Sheku and his friend Zahid Saeed. It is unknown why the fight broke out, however, when Zahid managed to run away, Sheku then took a large kitchen knife and took to the streets. [11] Concerned neighbours called emergency services to report a black man with a knife acting erratically, chasing cars and trying to get into cars. Police were dispatched.[12] [13] Six Police Scotland constables arrived at the scene and within forty-two seconds they had confronted Bayoh with pepper spray and batons forcing him to the ground, cuffing his wrists and ankles.[14] Prior to being restrained, Bayoh assaulted a female officer, PC Nicole Short by chasing her, punching her to the head forcing her to fall to the ground and thereafter stamped and kicked her as she lay unconscious in the middle of the road.[15] Bayoh continued to fight against being restrained by police, and lost consciousness soon after being restrained. Officers immediately commenced CPR and called for an ambulance, however he was later pronounced dead in hospital.[16] A post-mortem report revealed injuries to Bayoh's head and face, burst blood eye vessels (consistent with positional asphyxiation), bruising across his body, a fractured rib, and the presence of the street drugs MDMA and Flakka.[17] [18] His cause of death was recorded as 'sudden death in a man intoxicated…[drugs] whilst under restraint.[19]

Investigations

Police investigation

In the hours following his hospitalisation, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bayoh's death.[20] After 16 months, the PIRC submitted its investigation report to the Lord Advocate James Wolffe for review.[21] In October 2018, the Lord Advocate gave his decision that no criminal, corporate or health and safety charges would be brought against the police involved. In December 2018, Bayoh's family requested a review of the decision after CCTV and mobile phone footage emerged of his encounter with police, which the family felt contradicted police accounts of events.[22] [23] [24] The Lord Advocate upheld his previous decision stating that based on the evidence available, there would be no criminal proceedings against the police.[25]

Independent public inquiry

In November 2019, the Scottish Government's Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf established an independent public inquiry into Sheku Bayoh's death.[26] Judge Lord Bracadale was appointed as the Inquiry Chairman in January 2020. In May 2020, Yousaf announced the Terms of Reference of the Public Inquiry include establishing the circumstances of Bayoh's death; recommendations that might prevent similar deaths in the future; examination of investigation procedures excluding the Lord Advocate's investigation; whether events surrounding Bayoh's death and actions of the police were influenced by his 'actual or perceived race.' [27] [28]

In November 2022 Lord Bracadale announced that he envisaged the Inquiry continuing into 2024.[29]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alex. Michael. er. EXCLUSIVE: Family of Fife man Sheku Bayoh filled with 'untold pain' by the death of George Floyd in the USA. 2020-06-24. The Courier. en-GB.
  2. Web site: Inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh - gov.scot. 2020-06-24. www.gov.scot.
  3. Web site: Family of Sheku Bayoh devastated after Lord Advocate decision not to prosecute police following his death. 2020-06-24. Inquest. en.
  4. Web site: Sheku Bayoh death: Public inquiry will be held into death in custody of Fife man. 2020-06-24. www.scotsman.com. en.
  5. Web site: Ministerial statement on Sheku Bayoh. 2020-06-24. Scottish Government News. english.
  6. Web site: Perry. Liam Turbett, Photos: Andrew. 2015-06-09. The Family of a Man Who Died in the Custody of Scottish Police Marched for Justice on Sunday. 2020-06-24. Vice. en.
  7. News: Daly. Mark. McKay. Calum. 2020-06-19. 'Why did my brother die in police custody?'. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-06-24.
  8. Web site: 2015-07-25. Sheku Bayoh ‘may have asphyxiated after being held down by police’. 2020-06-24. the Guardian. en.
  9. Web site: Vesty. Sarah. 2015-05-05. Mum of Sheku Bayoh's kids pays moving tribute to tragic ex-partner on Facebook. 2020-06-24. dailyrecord.
  10. News: McKenna. Kevin. 2019-11-16. ‘Our brother shouldn’t have died like this,’ say Sheku Bayoh’s family. en-GB. The Observer. 2020-06-25. 0029-7712.
  11. News: 2020-01-24. Former judge to head Sheku Bayoh death inquiry. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-06-25.
  12. Web site: Soussi. Alasdair. Sheku Bayoh: The death of a black man in Scottish police custody. 2020-06-25. www.aljazeera.com.
  13. Web site: 2019-04-05. Opinion of Lord Woolman in the Petitions of PC Nicole Short and PC Alan Paton against decisions of the Scottish Police Authority refusing to allow them to retire on medical grounds. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190503042056/http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk:80/docs/default-source/cos-general-docs/pdf-docs-for-opinions/2019csoh35.pdf?sfvrsn=0 . 3 May 2019 . 2020-06-25. Scottish Courts and Tribunals.
  14. Disclosure: Dead in Police Custody, 22:45 10/06/2020, BBC1 Scotland, 30 mins. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/1290BB49?bcast=132184218 (Accessed 28 Aug 2023)
  15. News: 2022-06-22 . Sheku Bayoh inquiry: Colleagues said Bayoh PC 'unlucky' . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-07-10.
  16. News: correspondent . Severin Carrell Scotland . 2015-05-21 . CS and pepper sprays used in arrest of man who died, says lawyer . en-GB . The Guardian . 2020-07-08 . 0261-3077.
  17. News: 2018-10-03. Bayoh family 'devastated' over no charges. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-07-08.
  18. Web site: Warrender. Claire. Sheku Bayoh: Death certificate confirms presence of "zombie drug" flakka. 2020-07-08. The Courier. en-GB.
  19. Web site: New evidence uncovered in Sheku Bayoh custody death case . 2020-07-08 . www.scotsman.com . en.
  20. News: 2015-06-04. Custody death police offer statements. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-07-08.
  21. Web site: Lord Advocate confirms decision not to bring charges against Police Scotland officers involved death of Sheku Bayoh. 2020-07-10. Inquest. en.
  22. News: Carrell. Severin. 2018-12-18. Sheku Bayoh: calls for inquiry after new CCTV of arrest emerges. en-GB. The Guardian. 2020-07-10. 0261-3077.
  23. Web site: Sheku Bayoh death: Public inquiry will be held into death in custody of Fife man. 2020-07-10. www.scotsman.com. en.
  24. News: Daly. Mark. McKay. Calum. 2018-12-17. Fresh questions over police custody death. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-07-10.
  25. Web site: Ministerial statement on Sheku Bayoh. 2020-07-10. Scottish Government News. english.
  26. Web site: Sheku Bayoh: 12 Nov 2019: Scottish Parliament debates. 2020-07-10. TheyWorkForYou. en.
  27. Web site: Public inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh- Terms of Reference. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200531060131/https://www.parliament.scot/S5_HealthandSportCommittee/General%20Documents/20200521CSJtoMMSheku_Bayoh.pdf . 31 May 2020 . Scottish Parliament.
  28. Web site: Office. Chamber. 2019-03-27. Motions, Questions and Answers Search. 2020-07-10. www.parliament.scot.
  29. Web site: 2022-11-22 . Sheku Bayoh’s family facing ‘despicable’ racism, says inquiry chair . 2022-11-30 . the Guardian . en.

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