A fundraising appeal has been launched in memory of teenager Mzee Mohammed, who died last week after being detained by police in Liverpool.
The Liverpool Echo reports that the money raised will go to Mzee’s mother Karla, who wants to bury her 18-year-old son in Jamaica.
The page was set up by Khadeeja Yasmin, who said: “We are raising funds to support the family of a young boy who tragically lost his life on Wednesday whilst in police custody.
“He was 18 years old. His mother refuses to lay him here where this tragedy took place so he is being buried in Jamaica.l
“Please help with what you can if you can. A £1, fiver. It all helps All funds to go directly to Karla Mohammed, Mzee’s mother.”
A target of £1,000 has been set, which has already been raised.
Mzee became unwell after an incident in Liverpool. He had been detained by security guards in the shopping centre before the arrival of police officers, who restrained him before an ambulance arrived.
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Grieving relatives held a vigil on Saturday following the events which led to his death on July 13.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that the mayor of Liverpool has sought to reassure the public that an investigation into the death of the teenager will be fully transparent, following a weekend of protests in Liverpool and London.
Police said they called an ambulance once it became clear that Mohammed was suffering “a medical episode”, and he was pronounced dead about an hour and a half later at Royal Liverpool University hospital.
The mayor, Joe Anderson, acknowledged that the death had caused tension between the black community and the authorities in the city, and said: “The bottom line for me is that I will ensure – and [the police and crime commissioner] Jane Kennedy and the chief constable will also ensure – that there will be transparency around the [Independent Police Complaints Commission] investigation.
“There will be nothing that is left out. The family will get to know first, rightly, what is there and there will be no attempt by anybody, as far as I’m concerned, to cover up.”
In video footage that has emerged since Mohammed’s death, he is seen lying face down, barefoot, surrounded by paramedics and a large number of police officers. He appears unconscious and has his hands cuffed behind his back.
Mohammed’s family said that although the 18-year-old had been in trouble with the police before, he had sought to turn his life around, going back to college to get GCSEs in maths and English and aspiring to work as a chef. His mother, Karla, said her son was fit and healthy, did not take drugs and had no pre-existing medical conditions.
Speaking at a Black Lives Matter protest in Liverpool on Saturday that was attended by 300 people, Mohammed’s mother said: “Anyone who had a hand in my boy’s death will be brought to justice. My son will not be a number or a statistic. His death will not be in vain.”
