Ireland Case No. 0872Death after restraint · Co. Dublin
Death after restraint on Henry Street, Dublin, under investigation
On 15 May 2026, Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old Congolese man, was restrained by up to five security guards on Henry Street, Dublin, outside Arnotts after being suspected of shoplifting two bottles of scent. During the pursuit, Sakila knocked a man in his 80s to the ground, who was taken to Mater Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Sakila became unresponsive at the scene; responding gardaí removed handcuffs and performed CPR, and he was later pronounced dead at Mater Hospital. The post-mortem results are inconclusive pending toxicology, and the family has commissioned an independent UK postmortem. Two investigations are ongoing, one by Gardaí at Store Street and one by Fiosrú, with no one yet charged or arrested.
- Reported1 May
8 reports - Arrested
- Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Yves Sakila, a 35-year-old Congolese man, was restrained face down by up to five security guards on Henry Street after being suspected of shoplifting two bottles of scent from Arnotts.
- During the pursuit, Sakila knocked a man in his 80s (some reports say 30s) to the ground; the injured man, an elderly retired pastor known as Jimmy, was taken to Mater Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
- Sakila became unresponsive at the scene; responding gardaí removed handcuffs and performed CPR, and he was later pronounced dead at Mater Hospital.
- Where
- The incident took place on Henry Street, Dublin, outside Arnotts department store, between Moore Street and Coles Lane.
- When
- The incident occurred shortly after 5pm on Friday 15 May 2026.
- Cause
- Restraint asphyxia is a working theory; the post-mortem results are inconclusive pending a toxicology report.
- Investigation
- Gardaí at Store Street are investigating the death, with an incident room established, a Senior Investigative Officer appointed, and a Family Liaison Officer assigned.
- Fiosrú is conducting a separate investigation into garda interactions at the scene, following a referral by a Garda Superintendent under section 203(1) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.
- Gardaí have recovered CCTV and social media footage and are appealing for witnesses on Henry Street between 5pm and 5:25pm on 15 May; interviews with the security personnel are scheduled.
- Other details
- Sakila had lived in Ireland since 2004 and had a history of shoplifting, including a €110 fine in January 2026 for stealing perfume from Arnotts.
- The family commissioned an independent UK postmortem and raised concerns that the Irish postmortem did not follow best practice for suspected restraint deaths, noting the heart and brain were not sent to specialist pathologists.
- A protest of hundreds took place outside government buildings in Dublin and a vigil was held in Dublin city centre; Taoiseach Martin expressed his deepest sympathies to the family and the wider Congolese community.
102 statements extracted from the articles
- whatYves Sakila was declared dead in the Mater hospital after being restrained by several security personnel. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe man in his 30s was suspected of stealing goods from Arnotts. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatSecurity guards pursued the accused and he knocked over a man in his 80s while being chased. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe detained man became unresponsive at the scene. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe detained man was rushed to Mater Hospital by ambulance and later pronounced dead. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe man in his 80s was taken to Mater Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatYves Sakila was suspected of shoplifting from a retailer. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSakila knocked an elderly man to the ground as he fled, leaving the pensioner seriously injured. (irishtimes.com)
- whatWhen gardaí arrived, Sakila had been held on the ground by a group of security guards for a period. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe responding gardaí handcuffed Sakila to get control of the situation. (irishtimes.com)
- whatAlmost immediately after the handcuffs were applied, gardaí realised Sakila was unwell, removed the handcuffs and began performing CPR. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSakila was taken to the Mater hospital where he was later pronounced dead. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVideo footage shows the group holding Sakila to the ground face down on the pedestrianised street. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe footage is almost five minutes long, during which five people can be seen holding Sakila. (irishtimes.com)
- whatNo members of the Garda appeared to be at the scene as the footage was recorded. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA man died after an altercation with security personnel outside Arnotts department store in Dublin. (gript.ie)
- whatSecurity personnel detained a man on Henry Street in connection with alleged shoplifting at a retail store shortly after 5pm (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe detained man became unresponsive at the scene and was later pronounced dead in hospital (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe man was identified as Yves Sakila, a Congolese man aged in his 30s (dublinlive.ie)
- whatVideo emerged showing Sakila being restrained by security staff before gardaí arrived (dublinlive.ie)
- whatGardaí realised Sakila was in difficulty and began performing CPR (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA man in his 80s was injured as the suspect attempted to flee (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe injured man in his 80s was taken to Mater Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe fatal incident started at Arnotts when Sakila allegedly stole two bottles of scent (irishmirror.ie)
- whatSecurity staff restrained Sakila and he later became unresponsive (irishmirror.ie)
- whatYves Sakila died after being restrained in an alleged shoplifting incident. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí from Store Street station had been present at the scene on Henry Street when Sakila became unresponsive. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSakila was 35, Congolese, and had lived in Ireland since 2004. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSakila was pursued on to the street by security guards. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHe was caught and restrained by a group of up to five security guards who allegedly used force to pin him down face first on the street. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe responding gardaí handcuffed Sakila in an apparent bid to get control of the situation. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA pensioner was knocked to the ground and injured as Sakila was being pursued. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVideo footage of the incident has been circulating on messaging apps and social media. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe restraint took place outside the Arnotts store on Henry Street, Dublin. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe incident occurred on Henry Street, Dublin, outside Arnotts. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe altercation took place outside Arnotts department store in Dublin. (gript.ie)
- whereSakila was suspected of shoplifting on Henry Street on Friday, 15 May. (irishtimes.com)
- whenMr Sakila died on 15 May. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe incident took place shortly after 5pm on Friday 15 May 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenSakila was pursued by security personnel on Henry Street shortly after 5pm on Friday 15 May 2026. (irishtimes.com)
- whenGardaí are looking for witnesses on Henry Street between Moore Street and Coles Lane between 5:00pm and 5:25pm on Friday 15 May 2026 (dublinlive.ie)
- causeRestraint asphyxia is a working theory as the cause of death. (thejournal.ie)
- causeThe man had a history of shoplifting from the Arnotts store. (gript.ie)
- investigationThe investigation is led by a team at Store Street Garda Station. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationAn incident room is run by a senior investigative officer who has assigned detectives to gather information. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí have been collecting CCTV footage and witness statements. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationDetectives are examining the effect of the restraint and whether anything else contributed to the death. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí will interview the people who restrained Mr Sakila only after evidence gathering is concluded. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí have asked anyone who was on Henry Street between 5pm and 5.25pm on Friday 15 May to come forward. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí at Store Street launched an investigation into the death. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe scene was preserved and forensically examined. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Coroner was notified and the Office of the State Pathologist will conduct a post-mortem examination. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses and video footage from the Henry Street area between 5pm and 5:30pm on Friday 15 May 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationFiosrú confirmed its investigators had attended the scene on Henry Street. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationFiosrú confirmed it is now investigating the fatal incident. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe scene was preserved for examination, the coroner was notified and a referral was made to Fiosrú. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí appealed to witnesses and anyone recording video in the area to contact the investigation team at Store Street Garda station. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationFiosrú issued an update on its investigation into the death of Yves Sakila (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationGardaí at Store Street are investigating the circumstances of the death (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationFiosrú received a referral from An Garda Síochána on Friday 15 May 2026 (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe referral was made by a Garda Superintendent under section 203(1) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationTwo separate investigations are taking place by An Garda Síochána and Fiosrú (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe post-mortem examination was completed by the Office of the State Pathologist (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe post-mortem results are not being released for operational reasons (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationGardaí recovered footage from CCTV and social media of the incident (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationA Senior Investigative Officer was appointed to lead the investigation by the Serious Crime Unit in Store Street (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationAn incident room was established in Store Street Garda Station (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationA Family Liaison Officer was appointed to the family of the deceased (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe investigation is being run by an experienced senior detective (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationFiosrú is carrying out a separate investigation from a referral by force management (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Fiosrú probe focuses on garda interactions at the scene, not the fatal incident itself (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí recovered CCTV and social media footage of the incident (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are seeking witnesses on Henry Street between Moore Street and Coles Lane between 5:00pm and 5:25pm on Friday 15 May (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe heart of the deceased was not transmitted for analysis to any cardio-pathologist. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe brain was not sent to any neuropathologist. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe Garda investigation is being delayed by a 6-12 week waiting period for a toxicology report. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe family was critical of gardaí declining its request for CCTV footage of the incident. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe events were subject to two investigations, by the Garda and by Fiosrú. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí are investigating the death of Yves Sakila. (extra.ie)
- investigationGardaí are looking to speak to a female witness. (extra.ie)
- sentenceThe fine was imposed on 13 January 2026. (gript.ie)
- otherThe post-mortem results were inconclusive. (thejournal.ie, irishtimes.com)
- otherSome CCTV footage is from inside the shop where Mr Sakila was allegedly shoplifting. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe restraint followed allegations of shoplifting, and footage of it has circulated widely online. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe incident was referred to Físorú. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSakila had lived in Ireland since 2004. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe injured elderly man is still hospitalised. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe Irish Network Against Racism issued a statement expressing concern about the incident. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe Congolese community in Dublin plans a vigil for Sakila on Tuesday. (irishtimes.com)
- otherYves Sakila was fined €110 for stealing perfume from the store in June 2025. (gript.ie)
- otherThe Ombudsman stated that an investigation does not necessarily mean a garda has been accused of wrongdoing (dublinlive.ie)
- otherA vigil for Mr Sakila was held in Dublin city centre (dublinlive.ie)
- otherTaoiseach Martin expressed his deepest sympathies to the family and the wider Congolese community (dublinlive.ie)
- otherGardaí continue to engage with the male in his 80s who was injured (dublinlive.ie)
- otherSakila came to Ireland as a teenager in 2004 to join his mother (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHis mother arrived in Ireland in 1999 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSakila developed mental health and addiction issues and had dozens of criminal convictions (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHis last conviction was in January 2026 when he was fined €110 at Dublin District Court for shoplifting (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe was convicted of stealing perfume worth €106 from Arnotts in June 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherA protest of hundreds took place outside government buildings in Dublin city centre on Thursday (irishmirror.ie)
- otherAn elderly retired pastor known as Jimmy was knocked over during the incident (irishmirror.ie)
- otherA male aged in his 80s was injured in the incident (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 4 Oct2026Gardai investigating Yves Sakila death looking to speak to female witness
Gardaí are looking to speak to a female witness in connection with the investigation into Yves Sakila's death.
victim, Yves Sakila, non-irish (judged from name)Yves Sakila - 7 Jun2026Family of Yves Sakila seeks outside pathologist and criticises Garda inquiry
The family commissioned an independent UK postmortem, raised concerns that the Irish postmortem did not follow best practice for suspected restraint deaths, criticised the 6-12 week toxicology delay and the refusal to share CCTV, and called for an independent investigation. Garda and Fiosrú investigations remain ongoing; postmortem results are inconclusive pending toxicology.
victim, Yves Sakila, 35, male, Congolese, non-irishYves Sakilasuspect - 24 May2026Gardai to interview security involved in incident that led to Yves Sakila death
Details on upcoming security personnel witness interviews, toxicology tests pending, no evidence of foul play, background on Sakila's history in Ireland since 2004, his criminal record, and a protest held outside government buildings.
victim, Yves Sakila, 35, male, Congolese, non-irishYves Sakilavictim, 80s, male - 21 May2026Gardaí urgently appeal for witnesses following death of Yves Sakila
Gardaí witness appeal issued; post-mortem completed but results withheld; CCTV and social media footage recovered; SIO appointed by Serious Crime Unit; incident room established at Store Street; FLO appointed to family; Gardaí continuing to engage with injured male in his 80s.
victim, Yves Sakila, non-irish (judged from name)Yves Sakilavictim, 80s, male - 19 May2026Garda Ombudsman issues update on investigation into death of Yves Sakila
Fiosrú confirmed its independent investigation is ongoing under section 208(1)(b) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024; the referral was made by a Garda Superintendent under section 203(1); a vigil was held in Dublin city centre; Taoiseach Martin expressed his deepest sympathies to the family and the wider Congolese community.
victim, Yves Sakila, 30s, male, Congolese, non-irishYves Sakilavictim, 80s, male - 19 May2026Man had history of theft from Arnotts - Gript
The article names the man who died as Yves Sakila and reports his earlier fine for shoplifting from Arnotts. It gives no details of the altercation or the death itself and does not say whether any charge has been brought.
victim, Yves Sakila, 35, maleYves Sakila - 18 May2026Gardaí investigate role of security guards’ restraint in case of man who died on Dublin’s Henry Street
Provides details of video footage showing five people holding Sakila face down for almost five minutes, confirms Fiosrú referral and active investigation, reports the Garda statement, notes the Congolese community plans a vigil, and records the Irish Network Against Racism's statement calling for a thorough investigation.
victim, Yves Sakila, 35, male, Congolese, non-irishYves Sakilavictim, 80s, male - 16 May2026Detained 'shoplifter' dies following incident on Dublin's Henry Street
Initial report of the death; Gardaí confirmed investigation launched, scene forensically examined, Coroner notified, post-mortem to be conducted by the Office of the State Pathologist; incident referred to Físorú; appeal for witnesses and video footage from Henry Street between 5pm and 5:30pm on 15 May 2026.
victim, 30s, malevictim, 80s, male - 1 May2026Garda gathering evidence before interviewing people who restrained Yves Sakila before his death
Update on the garda investigation: evidence gathering is ongoing, no one has been interviewed, arrested or charged, toxicology results are awaited, and gardaí have appealed for witnesses who were on Henry Street between 5pm and 5.25pm on 15 May.
victim, Yves Sakila, non-irish (judged from name)Yves Sakila