South Wales police have admitted a police van was pursuing two teenage boys on an e-bike before they were killed in an incident that sparked violent riots in Cardiff.
The force referred itself to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, over the chase.
Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, who were riding the e-bike, were killed on Snowden Road in the Ely area of the city later though police say there were no police vehicles on the road at the time of the crash.
Their deaths sparked a night of riots in the deprived Ely area of west Cardiff that led to at least 15 police offices being injured in clashes with young residents of the area.
The south Wales police and crime commissioner, Alun Michael, had claimed the riots were sparked by false “rumours” of police involvement in the boys’ deaths.
Later, CCTV footage emerged appearing to show a police van chasing two boys on an e-bike just before 6pm on Monday.
Ch Supt Martyn Stone said: “We’ve received CCTV footage that shows a police vehicle following a bike just prior to 6pm. South Wales police has also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct to ensure the matter receives independent scrutiny.”
More details soon…
