SOUTH WALES POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE OFFICER WHO IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE IOPC FOR MISCONDUCT IN THE MOHAMUD HASSAN CASE IS STILL ON DUTY.
YESTERDAY IT WAS REVEALED THAT AN OFFICER WHO TRANSPORTED MOHAMUD TO THE STATION POTENTIALLY IGNORED THE FACT HE HAD SUFFERED A SEIZURE AND WAS IN PAIN, AND FAILED TO PASS THIS VITAL INFORMATION ON.
MOHAMUD, 24, DIED FOLLOWING AN OVERNIGHT STAY IN POLICE CUSTODY AND THE FORCE HAS BEEN EVASIVE WHEN QUESTIONED WHETHER THE OFFICERS INVOLVED HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED.
The police watchdog investigating the death of Mohamud Hassan, 24, revealed yesterday that an individual officer has been served notice that they are being investigated for misconduct.
voice.wales has now discovered that the officer in question has not been suspended and is still working for the force whilst his alleged misconduct is being investigated.
On Monday the IOPC said: “The officer attended the Newport Road, Cardiff address on 8 January and accompanied Mr Hassan to Cardiff Bay custody unit in the rear of a police van.”
“During this time period, Mr Hassan was heard on body worn camera to complain of having a fit, suffering a migraine, and displayed signs of experiencing pain.”
Asked directly on Tuesday whether the officer in question had been suspended, a South Wales Police press contact simply responded: “The officer has not been suspended.”
Previously the force were reluctant to comment on whether or not officers had been removed from active duty and referred us to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who then directed us back to the police who then refused to comment again.
SWP refused to expand on their initial statement made just days after Mohamud’s death after an overnight stay in custody, where he was later released without charge.
Police told voice.wales at the beginning of February 2020 that “no misconduct issues had been identified and to date this is unchanged.”
Outraged
Lee Jasper of BAME Lawyers for Justice, speaking for the family in response to the latest news, said: “The family are outraged that South Wales Police have confirmed that they have not suspended the officer in relation to his failures to provide adequate medical attention and immediate support to Mohamud Hassan.”
“It is beyond understanding that given the IOPC has not concluded its investigation that they have determined that this officer’s actions are to be viewed in utter isolation from Mohamud’s arrest and later detention at Cardiff Bay police station, instead of seeing it within a chain of events before deciding what appropriate action should be taken or what level of sanction should be applied.”
“Once again we see both the South Wales Police and the IOPC failing in their duties to provide true accountability and transparency in dealing with this case.
“We want the officer suspended, we want the release of the bodycam videos, and we want justice for Mohamud Hassan.”
A spokesperson for Black Lives Matter Cardiff and Vale added: “We are appalled but not surprised by this development. The police are institutionally racist and will routinely defend one of their own over providing any justice to grieving families they have traumatised.”
“The South Wales Police are being outright hostile to the community and to Mohamud’s family – they will not release any body cam footage… and now they are refusing to even suspend an officer when an investigation into misconduct is taking place.”
“Violent arrest”
Mohamud, 24, was arrested on Friday 8th January on suspicion of a minor offence but released the next morning without charge. He died later that day. Family members who saw him return home said he was badly injured and bruised.
Four days of protests erupted outside Cardiff Bay police station, where the mostly young crowd blamed the cops for the death. South Wales Police quickly denied that they had uncovered any officer misconduct.
But a statement yesterday from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said that a “misconduct notice” had been issued to an officer who may not have passed on crucial information about Mohamud’s deteriorating state whilst in transit to Cardiff Bay Police Station after his arrest.
Reacting to yesterday’s news on his blog, Lee Jasper said that the new information “raises the serious question of what occurred at the point of arrest,” adding that “It is widely believed that Mohamud was subject to violent arrest by South Wales Police officers…”
Mohamud also told family members he had been tasered during the arrest, but the IOPC have not confirmed or denied this.
On Tuesday, lawyer Hillary Brown from Virgo Consulting, who is representing the Hassan Family, said that the family were distraught and a more serious charge should be brought forward against the officer being investigated.
“If what we’re reading is correct, then we don’t believe it is misconduct, we believe it is gross misconduct,” she said.
“The police were the guardians of his health and wellbeing, and the officer was obligated to pass on information. It was his duty to ensure [Mohamud’s] rights were protected…he was in a state of some distress.”
She went on to say that the “buck doesn’t stop” with one officer, however, adding that the “custody sergeant has also failed.”
Ms Brown also raised the fact that over 50 cops were in contact with Mohamud Hassan during his time with SWP: “That’s 52 police officers that would have seen him in a distressed state. He would have told them he was in a distressed and injured state.”
Brown requested the custody records of Mr Hassan’s contact with South Wales Police immediately following his death but this had been refused, with the IOPC saying the investigation would have to conclude first, something they say could take up to 6 months.
Meanwhile, Brown said the family were “on their knees” with grief.
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