Cardiff riots: Killed teenagers not chased - police commissioner

Two teenagers whose deaths led to riots in Cardiff, were not being chased by police when they were killed in a bike crash, a police commissioner insists.

Alun Michael, South Wales' police and crime commissioner, said the police had assured him the youths were not chased.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in the crash on Snowden Road, Ely, shortly after 18:00 BST on Monday.

CCTV footage shows a police van following a bike about half a mile from the crash site just minutes earlier.

Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), has announced it will independently investigate the incident.

"I was assured [by the police] and I am still assured, that the youths were not being chased by the police at the time of the road traffic accident," Mr Michael told Radio Wales Breakfast on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Mr Michael said: "It would appear that there were rumours, and those rumours became rife, of a police chase - which wasn't the case."

The deaths sparked a riot in Ely which saw cars set alight, fireworks thrown at police and 15 officers injured.

South Wales Police's Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Bacon is due to make a statement at about 16:30.

After the CCTV footage circulated, South Wales Police said it was "studying" the video and police vehicle tracking data, adding there were "no police vehicles on Snowden Road" at the time of the crash.

The CCTV footage, which has been analysed by BBC Verify, is time-stamped to 17:59 on Monday on Frank Road.

Mr Michael has denied being misinformed when he previously claimed that no police chase had occurred.

"What happened was footage emerged of something that happened a short time before the road traffic accident, and that too needs to be investigated," he said.

"That was not available to the police or to me at the time when we responded to the first thing that happened, which was a road traffic accident."

It was put to Mr Michael that this leaves open the possibility of a pursuit and he replied: "It leaves open the possibility."

Mr Michael claimed the CCTV footage was filmed five minutes before the crash occurred.

"There was no police vehicle in the road where the crash happened. There was a police van in another street and the police were called quickly to the accident and conducted CPR," he added.

"That is being investigated as well and the matter is being referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) so anything that comes in needs to be investigated fully so we have the full picture."

Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts said Mr Michael had "serious questions to answer" following the police's response to the incident.

"The role of police and crime commissioners is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account," she said.

"Alun Michael this morning spoke rather as a spokesperson and defender for South Wales Police."

A friend of Kyrees' and Harvey's families, who did not wish to be identified, said their "heart is hurting" following the deaths.

"I'm just absolutely devastated and heartbroken for my friends. That's the little boy I used to babysit and push around in a pram. It is so, so sad," they said.

They said the boy's parents went to see their children at the hospital on Tuesday, adding that "they are both very numb and haven't gone much to say at the moment".

Cardiff Council said the clean-up operation cost about £22,500 after three cars were burnt out, tonnes of debris was left on the street and a lamp-post was broken.

The council said 14 staff and 10 vehicles were involved in the clean-up, which saw almost five tonnes of waste removed from the site.

Vicar at the Church of the Resurrection in Ely, Canon Jan Gould, said she "can't even begin to imagine" the amount of pain and grief the families of Kyrees and Harvey will be feeling.

She added it was "absolutely 100% vital" communication between the police and the community was handled properly.

"This is a very difficult community for the police to work in, we have some people in our community here that are very antagonistic toward police… a police presence anywhere will wind them up.

"But we also have a very large part of our community that are very reassured by police presence, so the police are treading this very fine line between these two different groups trying to maintain order."

A balloon release in memory of Kyrees and Harvey is being organised by the community for 18:00 on Friday.

Following the crash about 100 to 150 people gathered in Ely and at about 20:00 the force tweeted that it was working to "de-escalate" disorder.

The force said it had received a large number of calls from "understandably frightened" residents.

During the disorder, 15 officers were injured and 11 were taken to hospital, according the force.

Following the incident, First Minister Mark Drakeford - whose Cardiff West constituency includes Ely - said he was "very concerned" by the "upsetting reports".

Labour MP Kevin Brennan, who represents the Cardiff West constituency in the UK parliament, said on Tuesday it was "highly unfortunate" that the information initially provided by the police appears not to have been "entirely correct".

"It's important, if we're going to have trust and confidence between the community [and] the local police force… there has to be openness and clarity," added Mr Brennan.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said what had happened was "appalling and completely unacceptable".

The IOPC has said its investigators will examine "any interaction between the police and the boys".

IOPC director, David Ford, said: "It is important that we independently investigate the circumstances leading up to this tragic event.

"This incident and the events that followed have, understandably, attracted significant interest and public concern.

"It is important that we thoroughly and independently investigate this matter, in order to establish the full facts and circumstances of exactly what happened on Monday."

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