On a chilly morning in Kirkcaldy, Fife, on May 3, 2015, a series of frantic 999 calls set in motion events that would ripple through Scotland for the next decade. Sheku Bayoh, a 31-year-old father of two and gas engineer, was reported as behaving erratically and carrying a knife. By the end of that morning, Bayoh would be dead, and the lives of many—police officers, family members, and an entire community—would be irrevocably changed.
The impact of that day remains raw for Nicole Short, a former police constable who was among the first on the scene. Speaking at a press conference in Glasgow on November 5, 2025, her voice trembled as she described the enduring trauma. "I describe it as the old Nicole and the new Nicole. It's like my life was reset that day and I've spent every day since trying to rebuild it," Short said, as reported by BBC. She revealed that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and continues to receive treatment from NHS psychologists, even a decade later.
"There's a part of me that died that day and just never came back. I work hard to find some other things that I enjoy," she shared, echoing a sentiment she has repeated to family and therapists alike. The mental scars, she said, are "life-changing." Short recounted how she was attacked by Bayoh—punched in the back of the head, stamped on twice, and left fearing for her life. "I felt him punch the back of my head," she said. "I remember watching the evidence and remember how it absolutely tore me apart listening to that. I didn't have any broken bones. I had bruising but the mental scar that it's left me with has been life-changing." According to The Press Association, an independent doctor appointed by the inquiry found her injuries consistent with being stamped on.
Short's ordeal led to her retirement on ill-health grounds, and she credits her colleagues with saving her life. "They saved my life that day, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them intervening," she said. "They mean the world to me. I'll never be able to repay them but their quick thinking and their bravery, I'll never forget, and I'll never be able to thank them enough."
The events of that day have been the subject of a lengthy public inquiry, which began in November 2020 under the chairmanship of Lord Bracadale. The inquiry set out to examine the police response, the aftermath, and whether race played a role in Bayoh's death. However, the process has been mired in controversy. In October 2025, Lord Bracadale resigned after the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) called for his recusal, citing concerns over his impartiality following meetings with Bayoh's family. Shortly after, four members of the inquiry's legal team also stepped down. Lord Bracadale stated, "Participants in the inquiry had lost confidence in my conduct of the inquiry to such an extent that it cannot be retrieved."
The SPF has been vocal in its criticism of the inquiry's direction and the involvement of political figures. At the press conference, SPF chairman David Kennedy said, "The first minister's intervention undermines the prospect of a fair and transparent investigation. If we move to a situation where police officers do nothing to stop someone armed with a knife, for fear of being accused of racism, we will be powerless to protect the public." Kennedy confirmed that any call involving a knife is treated as if a weapon is present, regardless of confirmation. He supported calls for a new chair to be appointed to ensure the inquiry's completion.
The Scottish government, for its part, has sought to reassure all parties. A spokesperson stated, "The first minister has written to the Scottish Police Federation to confirm he is happy to meet Ms Short and her colleagues. The Scottish government is committed to supporting the public inquiry and establishing the relevant facts surrounding Sheku Bayoh's death. The immediate priority is to appoint a new chair to enable the inquiry to complete its work." Previous first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf also met with Bayoh's family, underscoring the case's significance in the national conversation about race, policing, and justice.
Bayoh's family and their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, have remained steadfast in their pursuit of answers. Anwar was unequivocal: "There is only one person that died that day and it was a 31-year-old unarmed black man, a father of two boys, suffering a mental health crisis due to drugs he took. He died as a result of restraint by up to six officers—with half a tonne weight on top of him—those are the facts." According to BBC, Bayoh lost consciousness during the struggle and later died in hospital. While police said a knife was recovered feet from where he was restrained, he was unarmed when officers arrived.
The inquiry has heard all evidence and is now poised for its final phase: closing submissions. But with its leadership in flux, the process has been thrown into uncertainty. Short expressed her desire for a "level playing field" and denied that race played any role in the officers' decisions that day. She described the "race factor being brought into it" as a cloud over her life and said, "Ultimately I'd like to see our names cleared because race wasn't a factor." She acknowledged that police officers have been "villainized" throughout the process, stating, "We were turning up thinking 'this guy's got a knife, we need to make the area safe.' To do that he needed to be restrained, the situation needed to be taken control of, to be safe."
At the press conference, a replica of the knife—measuring nine inches—was displayed, and dashcam footage was shown of Bayoh holding a knife in the street. Reporters also heard recordings of 999 calls, including one from Bayoh's partner, Colette Bell, who reported he had attacked his best friend and "beaten him up really, really badly." Short noted she knew only the description from the emergency calls: "a black man holding a knife." She insisted race never entered her mind as she responded to the call, adding she was "always really nervous" about any call involving a knife.
As the inquiry moves to its conclusion, the community, the police, and Bayoh's family await the findings with a mix of hope and apprehension. The case has exposed deep rifts in public trust, the challenge of balancing police accountability with officer safety, and the persistent questions about race and justice in modern Scotland. For Nicole Short, the events of that day remain ever-present. "It's always there," she said. "It's the first thing you think of in the morning and the last thing you think of at night."
With the inquiry's future uncertain, all eyes are on Scotland's leaders to ensure that the search for truth and justice continues—no matter how uncomfortable or complex the answers may be.
