Youth groups quiz police watchdog following death of Rashan Charles

Rashan Jermaine Charles. Photograph: Twitter

Young people from Hackney met the boss of the country’s police watchdog on Tuesday following the death of Rashan Charles.

The 20-year-old died in hospital last week after being chased and manhandled by a police officer.

A vigil held in Charles’ memory on Monday saw hundreds of angry protestors take to Stoke Newington High Street, with many carrying banners reading ‘No justice, no peace’.

In an attempt to calm what it describes as “community tensions”, Hackney Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) hosted a meeting earlier this week between Cindy Butts, who heads up the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), and young people from the borough.

The event, also attended by Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville and the council’s community safety chief Caroline Selman, gave members of two local groups – Young People’s Stop and Search Monitoring Group (YPSSMG) and The Crib – a chance to express their views on Charles’ death.

The youngsters also learned about the IPCC and its investigation procedures.

YPSSMG’s Dami Okusaga said the event was a “welcome step” in building relations, adding: “The meeting provided a good opportunity to understand in a little more detail what the IPCC actually does, but it was also clear where there were still gaps.

“The meeting also highlighted the real issues between the community and the police and it was nice to have the Mayor in attendance informing the audience, what actions he took and what he intends to do from here onwards in relation to this incident.”

Angry: demonstrators carry placards at the vigil for Rashan Charles. Photograph: Hackney Citizen

Mayor Glanville called for a “transparent and rigorous investigation”, saying: “The death of Rashan Charles has left many people shocked, hurt and angry. It was extremely powerful to listen to the concerns, questions and fears of those young people who attended the meeting.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure that those concerns are heard. We welcome the very early involvement of the IPCC and their commitment to working with Rashan’s family and engaging with the community.

“Rashan should not have died on Saturday morning and it is vital that the investigation is as transparent, rigorous and thorough as possible. In the meantime, we would urge people to engage with that process, to stay calm at this difficult time and to ensure protests are peaceful.”

The role of the IPCC is to investigate the most serious complaints involving police in England and Wales. It is an independent organisation, and not part of the police.

Cindy Butts, one of the IPCC Commissioners, said: “Tuesday night was a really valuable opportunity to meet and speak with young members of the community. I was hugely impressed with their contributions and questions, and I welcome the chance to keep up this engagement as our investigation continues.

“People are understandably concerned about what happened, and I am committed to overseeing a thorough and independent investigation that seeks to answer the questions that people have about the tragic death of Rashan Charles.”

If you have any information that might help the investigation, please contact kingslandroad@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk