“Since the weekend I have gained an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death of Mohamud Hassan in Cardiff and the concerns of his family who have sought answers about what happened during his time in police custody.

“South Wales Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which is normal after someone dies after spending time in police custody and fits with our approach of following the evidence wherever it takes us, without fear or favour.

“It has been confirmed that the Independent Office for Police Conduct is to carry out an independent investigation into police contact with Mr Hassan prior to his death.

“I would like to offer my sympathies to Mr Hassan’s family and friends and to those members of the community affected by his death and the events at the weekend.

“We now know that there is no physical trauma injury to explain a cause of death and it is important that we await the outcome of the independent investigation before drawing conclusions about what happened.

“Cameras from the custody unit and body-worn video footage from police officers has all been made available to the IOPC and will help them establish what happened in the hours prior to Mr Hassan’s death.

“In the meantime, we need to be patient and allow the investigation to take its course so we can get a full picture of what took place.”

Rt Hon Alun Michael, South Wales Police & Crime Commissioner 

The following statement has today been issued by the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding their investigation:  

https://policeconduct.gov.uk/news/investigation-under-way-police-contact-prior-death-mohamud-hassan-cardiff