The sister of a man who died after an incident at a shop on Coney Street in York has called her brother a ‘lovely, kind, considerate person’.
The family of Sam Diatta say they are still in complete shock.
The police investigation into what happened is ongoing but they have said Sam was not involved in any robbery.
His sister Teba Diatta told YorkMix Radio she has been overwhelmed by the messages of sympathy.
“I found out on Tuesday night that Sam had passed away. I was in the gym, and I just happened to ring my Mum.
“And I was like dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe it. I went straight back into the class where I’d been doing the exercise and told the instructor, my brother’s died.
“I was just, you know, when your blood runs cold, arrived back at the house to replace two officers and they stayed for over two hours.
“And it was just surreal. They were talking about my brother in the past, hence, we can’t believe it just doesn’t seem real.”
Reports online and in the national media that Sam Diatta had been involved in a robbery have not been helpful as the family try and come to terms with what has happened.
The police are quite clear that there is no evidence to support this claim.
Teba says: “That was very upsetting to our family, because it’s just not true.
“And for people to say that, well it was unbelievable, because how can people just make things up out of nowhere.”
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Sam Diatta had had a struggle with mental illness – something Teba and the family are happy to acknowledge as it affects many people.
“It was significant. Sam was given a diagnosis of bipolar, I think it was in his late teens or early 20s.
“He did have a number of hospital admissions. However, he was my brother, regardless of if he was ill or not.
“It was hard fight that he fought. But there were times when he was much better than others. So it wasn’t so obvious that he was unwell.
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“And he was, it was just a lovely, kind, considerate person.
“I don’t want people to remember him for something he might something that might have happened in his past when he was unwell.
“Because with mental health, you aren’t in control of how your mind works. I’m going to remember him as a happy smiling, loving, generous, so who was always putting other people’s needs before his own.”
‘He put others first’
Teba spoke warmly of her time with Sam.
“He was just a laugh. I used to go and stay at his flat for the weekend. And we’d get a curry. And he’d like the spiciest curry.
“He was just kind and very welcoming. He put other people’s needs before his own. He was always going out of his way for me. I’m going to miss those special times that we spent together.”
Sam and Teba’s dad was from Senegal. So they supported both the England and Senegal football sides.
Teba said: “I’m slightly more African, as I’ve lived in Senegal before and I’ve been immersed in the culture, whereas Sam hasn’t. He’s been there, but he’s not lived there.
“So we always used to joke that if England played Senegal in the World Cup, which they could well do, I’m going to support Senegal the underdogs, and he’d be supporting England.
“It was a bit of a bit of just fun rivalry between us. Mum said at his funeral we’re going to have both flags on his coffin just to show that he was a proud Englishman, but it was also Senegalese as well. He loved his family in Senegal.”