While three other police officers pushed a 19-year-old to the ground, a colleague allegedly hit his head twice with full force against the asphalt. Because a murder had recently taken place on site, video recordings clearly show the official act. The defendant demands acquittal at the court in Vienna. He understands that too…
There are shocking video recordings that are also played several times on the second day of the trial in the Vienna Regional Court on Wednesday. They show four police officers wrestling a young man to the ground, with one of the officers hitting his head on the ground twice – until the 19-year-old bleeds.
Violence against bystanders in murder investigations
The Public Prosecution Service accuses the 34-year-old police officer of abuse of power. “He used massive violence against the victim. There is no justification for this behavior. Officers are trained to keep a cool head even in stressful situations like this.”
It was definitely a stressful situation at the time. The incident is reminiscent of the murder at the Simmering printing press: an Iranian (35) shot a fellow countryman in a small copy shop and has already been sentenced to 15 years in prison for this. Shortly after the fatal shots on May 7, 2023, the 19-year-old wanted to go to an ATM at the cordoned-off crime scene. When the police asked him to identify himself, the young victim refused.
The alleged violent acts that followed were filmed from different perspectives by present media teams and surveillance cameras from surrounding businesses on Simmeringer Hauptstrasse. “Not once, but twice, he hit the young man’s head on the asphalt with full force,” the prosecutor explains.
“Maybe I accidentally pushed too hard.”
The suspected police officer denies that the incident was captured on video. He only pushed the bystander to the ground because he massively resisted the official action: “Maybe I accidentally pushed too hard. But I don’t know what I could have done differently.”
He did not know at that time whether the man was possibly involved in the murder that had just been committed. “When the alleged murderer was arrested, was it already clear that there was only one perpetrator?” his lawyer asked. “No, it wasn’t. From the beginning there were several men arguing in the store,” the suspect remembers.
However, it was clear to the prosecutor on the second day of the trial that the Viennese’s actions constituted abuse of office: “A constitutional state must punish such actions with the utmost severity. This concerns a violation of the victim’s fundamental right to physical integrity.”
After almost an hour of deliberation, the jury made a decision: the accused police officer received the requested acquittal – not legally binding.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
