Polish police officer charged over death of Ukrainian man
In the Polish city of Opole, prosecutors have charged a 29-year-old police officer with excessive use of force against a 48-year-old Ukrainian man, which led to his death.
Stanislaw Bar, a spokesman for the District Prosecutor's Office in Opole, said this in a comment to Ukrinform, Censor.NET reports.
"On 6 November, a 29-year-old police officer was charged with abuse of power through the inappropriate use of direct coercion to immobilise a person, which led to the death of a 48-year-old Ukrainian citizen", he said.
The law enforcement officer faces up to 5 years in prison. He testified but did not admit guilt. He is currently suspended from work and banned from leaving the country.
According to Bar, the autopsy of the Ukrainian's body showed that he could have died as a result of a sudden cessation of respiratory functions, i.e. due to strangulation. The exact cause of death will be determined only after all the examinations, including histopathological ones, which will take several weeks.
The body has now been handed over to the family.
Details of the incident
On 29 October 2024, the owner of a company in Krzywizna, where a Ukrainian wanted to work, called the police.
The businessman demanded that the man, who eventually refused to work for him, pay for the night's accommodation. At first, the man refused, but by the time the police arrived, he had paid. When the police asked the Ukrainian to show them his documents, he refused. So the patrol policemen wanted to take the man to the police station, but he resisted. When they tried to handcuff him, using force, the man became ill and fainted. Rescuers were called to the scene, but they pronounced the Ukrainian to be dead.
According to Bar, the prosecutor's office rules out the use of excessive force by the police on the grounds of ethnic hatred and considers it an accident.
The spokesperson noted that this is the first case of death in police custody in Opole Voivodeship in 2024.
Ukraine's reaction
The Consul General of Ukraine in Wroclaw, Yurii Tokar, stated that the death of Ukrainian citizen Ihor Sh. is under special control of the institution. The circumstances of this case, including the legality of the use of force, are being investigated by the District Prosecutor's Office in Opole.
"For its part, the Consulate General, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, emphasises the importance of a comprehensive, full and objective investigation of all the circumstances of the case", Tokar concluded.
