Sheku Ahmed Tejan Bayoh (30 September 1983 – 3 May 2015) died after being restrained by police in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. His death sparked controversy, and an independent government inquiry following a police investigation.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Life
Bayoh was born in Sierra Leone.[3][7] In 1995 he fled to the United Kingdom as an unaccompanied child to escape civil war in Sierra Leone.[7] After living in London for five years, he moved to Fife, Scotland at the invitation of his sister, who had lived there since the 1990s.[7] At the time of his death, Bayoh was training to be a gas engineer.[7][8] He was a father to two sons.[9][6]
Death
On the morning of 3 May 2015, Bayoh visited a friend's house to watch TV.[7][10] His friends noticed he was acting out of character after he took a cocktail of drugs including MDMA and Flakka. He left their property and went home. After he returned home, a fight broke out between Bayoh and his friend, Zahid Saeed. Zahid fled and Bayoh then took a large kitchen knife and left his house.[7][10][6][11] Concerned neighbours called emergency services to report a man with a knife acting erratically, chasing cars and trying to get into cars. Police were dispatched.[6][7][12][13] After six Police Scotlandconstables arrived at the scene, Bayoh chased a female officer, PC Nicole Short, and punched her to the head, forcing her to fall to the ground and thereafter stamped and kicked her as she lay unconscious.[14] Police constables then used pepper spray and batons to force him to the ground and then cuffed his wrists and ankles.[15] Bayoh resisted the police and lost consciousness soon afterwards. Officers immediately commenced CPR and called for an ambulance; he was pronounced dead in hospital.[7][16][3] A post-mortem report revealed injuries to Bayoh's head and face, burst blood eye vessels (consistent with positional asphyxiation), bruising across his body, a fractured rib, and the presence of the street drugs MDMA and Flakka.[17][3][18] His cause of death was recorded as 'sudden death in a man intoxicated…[drugs] whilst under restraint.[19][20]
Investigations
Police investigation
Following his hospitalisation, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bayoh's death.[21] After 16 months, the PIRC submitted its investigation report to the Lord AdvocateJames Wolffe for review.[3][22] In October 2018, the Lord Advocate determined that no criminal, corporate or health and safety charges would be brought against the police involved. In December 2018, Bayoh's family requested a review of the decision after CCTV and mobile phone footage emerged of his encounter with police which the family felt contradicted police accounts.[23][24][20] The Lord Advocate upheld his decision stating that, based on the evidence available, there would be no criminal proceedings against the police.[23][22][25]
Independent public inquiry
In November 2019, the Scottish Government's Justice SecretaryHumza Yousaf announced an independent public inquiry into Bayoh's death.[2][4][26] Judge Lord Bracadale was appointed as the Inquiry Chairman in January 2020.[11] In May 2020, Yousaf announced the Terms of Reference, include establishing the circumstances of Bayoh's death; recommendations that might prevent similar deaths; examination of investigation procedures excluding the Lord Advocate's investigation, and; whether events surrounding Bayoh's death and the actions of the police were influenced by his 'actual or perceived race.' [25][27][28]
In November 2022 Lord Bracadale announced that he envisaged the Inquiry continuing into 2024.[29]