DUBLIN — Yves Sakila died after being restrained by shop security guards on a Dublin street on 15 May. Irish authorities have agreed to a second postmortem on his body after the initial examination appeared inconclusive.
Sakila allegedly stole a bottle of perfume from Arnotts department store, prompting a chase outside where security guards detained him for approximately five minutes. Footage shared on social media showed Sakila face down on the street, with one man appearing to kneel on his neck during the restraint. When police arrived, they briefly handcuffed Sakila before realizing he was unresponsive and transported him to Mater Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An Garda Síochána has opened an investigation into the incident. A forensic pathologist from England, David Rouse of Forensic Healthcare Services in Essex, is scheduled to conduct an independent postmortem as part of the inquiry.
Protesters held several rallies and a vigil near Arnotts on Henry Street following Sakila’s death. Placards at the vigils referenced Black Lives Matter. Some of the incident was filmed and circulated widely on social media.
Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, foreign minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, visited Dublin to meet with Sakila’s family representatives and Irish officials. She met with Ireland’s president, Catherine Connolly, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, and Foreign Minister Helen McEntee. “The conversations that I had in Dublin were very fruitful and constructive and encouraging,” Kayikwamba Wagner said. She added that the family sought to understand “how such a demonstration of excessive force could happen in broad daylight” and to ensure the case remained in the public eye.
John Gerard Cullen, the family’s solicitor, said, “There are so many unanswered questions.” Cullen has submitted 41 questions to gardaí regarding the circumstances of Sakila’s death.