South Wales Police officer served misconduct notice in Mohamud Mohammed Hassan investigation
A South Wales Police officer has been served a misconduct notice as part of the ongoing investigation into police contact with Mohamud Mohammed Hassan.
Mr Hassan died just hours after being released from police custody in January this year. He was arrested on suspicion of a breach of the peace but then released the following morning without charge.
Investigators from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the misconduct notice relates to information about Mr Hassan's welfare "potentially" not being passed onto custody staff.
The serving of a misconduct notice does not necessarily mean an officer has committed any wrongdoing, it is to notify them that their behaviour is being investigated.
The officer who has been issued with the notice attended the address on Newport Road in Cardiff where Mr Hassan was arrested. He then accompanied Mr Hassan in the rear of a police van to the Cardiff Bay custody unit.
During this time, Mr Hassan can be heard on body-worn camera footage complaining of having a fit, suffering a migraine and he displays signs of experiencing pain.
The IOPC said the misconduct notice "relates to this information potentially not being passed to custody staff in charge of Mr Hassan’s welfare".
The most serious sanction that can be handed out if a police officer is found to have breached professional standards that warranted a misconduct notice, is a written warning.
The independent investigation into the circumstances of Mr Hassan’s death is ongoing as the IOPC continue to analyse footage.
IOPC Director for Wales, Catrin Evans, said: “We are continuing to analyse the footage and piece together other evidence, and we are looking at all the interaction police had with Mr Hassan over the weekend of his death.
"In the course of an investigation, where an indication arises that an officer may have breached professional standards that may warrant a disciplinary sanction, we serve a disciplinary notice to advise them they are subject to investigation.
"We have advised Mr Hassan’s family and South Wales Police that we have done so for one officer over possibly not passing information about Mr Hassan’s welfare to the custody sergeant on duty.
"We keep misconduct notices under review during the course of an investigation. At the conclusion of an investigation the IOPC decides whether any officer under notice has a disciplinary case to answer."