Hundreds of people took to the streets of Cardiff yesterday to protest for justice after a 24-year-old black man died just hours after being released from police custody.
On Friday 8th January, Mohamud Mohammed Hassan was arrested at his Cardiff home on suspicion of breach of the peace but was released on Saturday night without charge.
Just hours after his release, Mohamud had died, with his family claiming he was assaulted in custody prior to his death.
“He was released on Saturday morning with lots of wounds on his body and lots of bruises,” Mohamud’s aunt Zainab Hassan told BBC Wales.
“He didn’t have these wounds when he was arrested and when he came out of Cardiff Bay police station, he had them.”
South Wales Police said it found no evidence of excessive force or misconduct during Mohamud’s arrest, and the police watchdog said initial tests showed he was not killed by any injuries.
Toxicology tests are now being carried out by the The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who are awaiting the full post-mortem result.
Yesterday (January 12), more than 300 people took part in a march from the city centre to Cardiff Bay police station chanting “no justice, no peace”, and holding signs which read “Black Lives Matter”.
Protestors also called for police to release CCTV of Mr Hassan’s time in custody.
The IOPC’s director for Wales – Catrin Evans – said it would investigate Mr Hassan’s arrest, the journey in a police van to custody and his time at Cardiff Bay police station.
She added that they will be “urgently examining the extensive relevant CCTV footage and body-worn video” and will also speak to the officers involved, as well as witnesses who saw his arrest on Friday night.
“I send my condolences to Mr Hassan’s family and friends, and to everyone affected by his sad death,” Evans said.
“We are aware of concerns being expressed and questions being asked about use of force by police officers. We will look carefully at the level of force used during the interaction and I would urge people show patience while our inquiries, which will take some time, are made.”