Family seek answers over father’s death in custody
FAMILY and f riends of a young father who died in police custody have demanded answers from the authorities.
Sheku Bayoh, 31, was detained on Sunday morning during an incident in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in which a female officer was injured and taken to hospital.
It is thought that the father of two from Sierra Leone may have suffered a heart attack.
But last night around 70 friends and family members gathered at the town’s Templehall Community Centre. They want to know what happened to Mr Bayoh and why he had been detained by police.
There had been reports at the time from residents that a man was seen in the Hayfield Road area carrying a knife and that he was unsteady on his feet.
Connie Bacik, 33, who has a threeyear-old son with Mr Bayoh, was one of those demanding answers.
Writing on Facebook she said that police had failed to inform her of her former partner’s death and that she had only found out online.
She added that she was still in shock but said she would ‘fight for the truth’.
Miss Bacik said: ‘I need answers for my son, his brother and his family. The people we put our trust in to protect us have changed their stories too much in a short time.
‘I just can’t get my head around the fact he’s gone for good and [my son] won’t ever see his dad again.’
Mr Bayoh also had a four-monthold son with new partner Collette Bell, 26.
One friend, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I have heard different things. People said he had a heart attack and that a group of police were around him, but I’ve also heard they might have sprayed him. No one
‘No one seems to know the truth’
seems to know the truth. It’s frustrating, we just want answers but no one has any.’
Police Scotland have not publicly commented but an investigation into Mr Bayoh’s death has been launched.
Yesterday, officers continued doorto- door inquiries and an incident support unit remained at the scene.
Kufre Okoko, a friend of Mr Bayoh, said: ‘The police have told Sheku’s family four different versions of what happened and none of them are adding up.
‘First they were looking for a couple of his friends, then they weren’t, and now they’re saying he may have died in custody.
‘We want to know how, when and where he died, whether police used Tasers, what was done to try to save him and what he was accused of.’
Last night, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) called for any witnesses to come forward.
A spokesman said: ‘The PIRC is keen to speak to anyone who may have witnessed any incident in this area.
‘The PIRC is investigating the circumstances of the death, including the man’s contact with police officers prior to his death.’