Two South Wales officers face misconduct notices over fatal electric bike crash
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has issued gross misconduct notices to two South Wales Police officers involved in a tragic incident in Cardiff. The officers were in a marked van when they followed an electric bike ridden by Kyrees Sullivan, 16 years old, and Harvey Evans, 15 years old, before it crashed on Snowden Road, resulting in the teenagers’ deaths.
The South Wales Police had referred itself to the IOPC after CCTV footage showed the boys being followed by a police van. The IOPC stated, “As part of our investigation, we have served gross misconduct notices on two police officers, the driver and passenger in a marked police van, which was seen on CCTV footage driving behind the boys’ electric bike a short time prior to the fatal collision on May 22.” It is important to note that these notices do not necessarily imply that disciplinary proceedings will ensue.
Investigators are currently reviewing “hundreds of video footage clips” collected through house-to-house enquiries and leafleting in the Ely area of Cardiff. The IOPC added, “To ensure we identify and secure relevant evidence, we have followed up inquiries with, and taken statements from, some local residents. We have also set up witness appeal boards on relevant streets. In addition to these lines of inquiry, we have reviewed initial accounts and body-worn video from relevant police officers and staff.”
The focus of the investigation remains on the nature of the police interaction with the two boys before the collision and the appropriateness of the officers’ decisions and actions. Specifically, the IOPC is examining whether the officers’ decisions and actions in the police vehicle constituted a pursuit at any point. South Wales Police has been cooperating with the investigation.
The IOPC is maintaining regular contact with the families of the deceased teenagers to keep them informed of the investigation’s progress.
