Twenty arrested over Ely riot sparked by death of teens

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, crashed minutes after a police van was filmed following them.

Police officers on Howell Road in Cardiff as they face a ‘large scale disorder’ at the scene of a serious road traffic collision on Snowden Road in Ely (Bronwen Weatherby/PA) (PA Wire)

A total of 20 people have so far been arrested in connection with a riot that happened in Ely, South Wales following the deaths of two teenagers, police have confirmed.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died on the evening of Monday May 22 when they crashed on a Sur-Ron electric bike minutes after CCTV had captured them being followed by a police van.

Hours of violence and disorder was sparked when news of their deaths and the suggestion police had been pursuing the pair prior to the incident spread throughout the community and on social media.

South Wales Police said 17 males and three females, aged between 14 and 36, had now been arrested on suspicion of riot.

All have since been released on police bail while the investigation continues, the force said.

Four were detained on the night while five were arrested in the early hours of Thursday May 25.

Detective Chief Superintendent Ceri Hughes said: “During the disorder several vehicles were set alight, property was damaged, police officers were injured, and residents were scared in their homes.

“As part of the investigation so far, over 290 pieces of body worn footage from police officers has been gathered, as well as several hours of videos posted on social media, drone, helicopter, and CCTV footage.

“We are extremely grateful for the support from the community so far and to members of the public who have provided 50 responses using the Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP).

“More arrests are expected as we continue to identify those involved and we are still appealing for witnesses, information, and footage.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is conducting an investigating into the force’s actions surrounding the collision after footage of the marked police vehicle following the boys emerged the next day.

The agency said it is looking at the the nature of the police interaction with the two boys prior to the collision and the appropriateness of the police officers’ decisions and actions, whether at any time the decisions and actions of the officers in the police vehicle constituted a pursuit and whether the interaction between the police officers and the boys was reported appropriately by the officers prior to and following the collision.

It said it is also investigating whether the actions and decisions of South Wales Police over the interaction were in line with legislation, local and national policies and procedures.

South Wales Police said it would provide the IOPC with all the information it had to allow for a thorough investigation.

It said the families of Kyrees and Harvey continue to be supported by family liaison officers.