‘Chased to death by police’
THE aunt of one of the teenage boys who died in an electric bike crash claims they were “chased to their death” by police.
Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, were killed a week ago.
The tragedy sparked rioting in the Ely district of Cardiff amid claims on social media the boys were pursued by police shortly before the accident. Police initially denied the rumours.
Nine people were arrested during the disorder and 15 officers injured.
South Wales Police later referred itself to the Independent Office for
Police Conduct after CCTV footage emerged showing a police van appearing to follow the e-bike.
Around a thousand people attended a vigil for Harvey and Kyrees last Friday. Speaking to the BBC, Harvey’s aunt, Hayley Murphy, said: “They were two children who were chased to their death by SouthWales Police.That is basically it.”
Ms Murphy said Harvey had been giving his best friend a lift home on the Sur-Ron electric bike that had
been an early 16th birthday present when they encountered police.
She alleged: “Harvey only just had this bike and didn’t want to lose it. He turned back and police gave chase.”
She said after the crash she waited at the police barrier with her sister, Harvey’s mother, for more than two hours, “begging them to tell us if they were alive or dead, and they wouldn’t”.
Ms Murphy said officers “came to the house around four hours after it happened...and said ‘there have been two fatalities but we can’t confirm who they are’.” She added: “How can you treat a family of a young boy like that?”
South Wales Police said it “cannot comment any further” due to the ongoing investigations by the force and IOPC.