A curious case is currently being heard at the Vienna Regional Court. An autist is said to have resisted state authority during an official act. He was spotted by a radio patrol when he crossed the intersection at a red light. When officers asked about it, he did not respond.
The 30-year-old suffers from Asperger’s syndrome and only speaks in certain situations. On Tuesday, he had to appear before the Vienna court for defiance of state authority and attempted bodily harm. The man was observed by a radio patrol on the evening of December 24 as he crossed the intersection through a red light. The officers confronted him about it.
“He didn’t say a word. I didn’t know at the time that he had autism. I explained to him numerous times that he had committed an administrative offense and that we need to see his ID,” the oldest of the three police officers told the judge. He suspected that the autistic man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“It seemed very aggressive”
A younger colleague even thought the man was a state objector. He went back when he was informed of the identity check. “That seemed very aggressive to us. His face has turned red. He raised his hands, clenched fists.”
The 30-year-old was then lowered to the floor and fixed in the prone position, resulting in a laceration that had to be stitched up later.
The prosecutor charged the suspect with kicking his feet and resisting arrest. He later allegedly tried to kick a police officer who had been yelled at in the knee. “It is not true that I tried to hit a police officer,” the defendant told the judge. He doesn’t know why he didn’t show his ID. Moreover, he only pushed the hand of an official.
Police confessed to ‘violent intervention’
The senior officer admitted the official act was a “forceful intervention”. He could not have known how the suspect would react because he had defended himself vigorously. Because of the injuries sustained by the autistic man, the police officers who intervened first were also examined. However, the process has already been halted.
Because the colleague who was called up for reinforcements could not yet be questioned, the hearing will continue at the end of June.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.