25-year-old died in police custody in Luton
The family of a 25-year-old man from Luton who died whilst in police custody have said they have been left “distraught and devastated”.
Istiak Yusuf had been in a cell at Luton police station where he died following his arrest at the Purley Centre.
An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation has been launched, aiming to examine the circumstances that led to his death.
Solicitor Attiq Malik said Istiak’s family were “very eager” to learn what happened to him.
He said, “The family are distraught and devastated at the fact that such a young member of their family, the father of a six month old baby, has suddenly passed away whilst in police custody.
“The next step is once the medical examinations are completed and a cause of death is identified, the body will be released and the burial will take place.
“At this stage, that’s the most important thing for them.”
The family were unaware of any pre-existing medical conditions which could have factored into the cause of Istiak’s death and the initial post-mortem examination failed to reveal the cause of death, the solicitor said.
According to Bedfordshire Police, there was “nothing to suggest this tragic death was caused by any police action” but they were “determined that a full and transparent investigation is conducted”.
In a statement, Deputy Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the force’s thoughts were with Istiak’s family.
He said, “We will do all we can to co-operate with the investigation and help provide the family, the coroner and the IPCC with accurate information about how and why he tragically died”
