Intervention of German police: 32-year-old Pole dead

dzienniknarodowy.pl 2 months ago
On the night of Friday to Saturday, in the German Rheine (North Rhine-Westphalia), a tragic event took place involving a Polish citizen. A 32-year-old truck driver died after the intervention of the German police, during which a taser and baton were utilized against him. This event, although declared to be in accordance with the procedures by the German prosecutor, raised many questions about the limits of usage of force and the safety of specified interventions, especially against foreigners.

It all started with a regular halt for traffic control. Police wanted to halt a truck that was moving in a “dangerous way”. However, the driver ignored the light and sound signals, accelerated and began to escape. Through the city centre he drove at a velocity of about 100 km/h, well exceeding the permitted 50 km/h. On his way he ignored the red lights, expanding the hazard of a serious accident.

The pursuit ended erstwhile officers managed to block the escape route. The driver jumped out of the cab of the truck and tried to run on foot. The police caught up with him, but, according to their accounts, he resisted strongly. Then they decided to usage a taser and a baton.

A fewer moments after the intervention, the condition of the man began to deteriorate rapidly. Officers called 911, started CPR. Unfortunately, despite efforts by both police and rescuers, the 32-year-old failed to save. He died in the hospital.

The D.A. initiated an investigation and ordered an autopsy. Her first results ruled out a direct link between the death of a man and the usage of a taser. According to the witness report, he may have been under the influence of narcotics, the toxicology is to confirm or exclude it.

The German authorities stress that the intervention was in line with the procedures. However, criticisms appeared in the public space – both German and Polish. On social media, commentators ask if the usage of a taser was essential erstwhile the man was unarmed. The subject of many cases in which German police were to usage force against foreigners, including Poles, is besides raised.

This is not the first time that the actions of German services end tragically for the Polish citizen. In fresh years, respective high-profile cases have emerged that cast a shadow on German police activities and rise questions about the standards of usage of force.

Hamburg, 2019: violent road intervention

In 2019, in Hamburg, a Polish passenger car driver was stopped for alleged speeding. During the inspection, according to witnesses' accounts, the police were to pull him out of the vehicle by force, throw him to the ground and cuff him. The driver had facial injuries and complained about chest pains. The case did not go to court, but was made public by Polish media as an example of possible abuse of powers.

Berlin, 2021: pepper spray against tourist

In Berlin, in 2021, there was an incidental involving a Polish tourist who, according to the German police, was under the influence of alcohol and disrupted public order. During the intervention, officers utilized pepper spray on him. A man suffered a severe allergic reaction and went to infirmary with laryngeal oedema. The household claimed that the intervention was inadequate to the situation, and the man himself was calm and non-aggressive.

Hanover, 2022: intervention against a Pole with intellectual disorders

W Hanover in 2022 German police were summoned to a Polish citizen acting irrationally on the street. As it later turned out, he suffered from intellectual disorders. While trying to halt him, the police utilized a taser. The man suffered a heart attack, but was able to save him. The case was controversial because, as was emphasized, the police were not prepared to contact a individual in a state of intellectual crisis.

For respective years, German police have been increasingly reaching for paralysers as a means of direct coercion. Although presented as a "less deadly" alternate to firearms, statistic show that their usage can have tragic consequences.

According to investigative writer Matthias Monroy, there have been at least 10 deaths in Germany since 2018 after police paralysis. Cases occurred in Bavaria, Hesia, Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate, among others. In most of these, the victims were in a state of strong intellectual stimulation or under the influence of psychoactive substances.

Nevertheless, the authorities of the Lands are extending their powers to usage paralysers by introducing them to standard patrol equipment.

Every case of death after police intervention should be carefully investigated, especially erstwhile it concerns an unarmed individual or in crisis. Human rights organisations in Germany have been calling for years to reduce the usage of paralysers and compulsory deescalation training.

On the another hand, European law imposes a work of proportionality in the usage of force, meaning that a police officer can only search the means of coercion if there are no another means of action. Was this condition fulfilled for a 32-year-old Pole in Rheine? That's to establish an independent investigation.

Until now, German services are confined to laconic statements. besides in Poland there is no authoritative position of the Ministry of abroad Affairs or Consulate in Germany. This creates frustration among families of victims and Polonia.

Polish Members of the European Parliament have already announced that they will request clarification in the EU.

– It's not the first time. If we are to die after intervention only due to the fact that we are from Poland, we are faced with a systemic problem – 1 of the MEPs commented.

There is no shortage of voices that German police treat foreigners more severely. Although there are no authoritative cultural statistic on police victims of intervention, many recordings and eyewitness accounts indicate that people speaking poorly German or having different skin colors are more frequently overwhelmed by force.

In the case of Poles, language and cultural barriers frequently work. People detained by police do not realize issued commands or respond impulsively – which is sometimes interpreted as aggression. As a result, there is an escalation, the finale of which is tragic.

The death of a 32-year-old Pole in Rheine should be a turning point. Both in Germany and Poland, a serious talk about the safety of foreigners during police interventions is needed. Independent investigations, clear standards and global control are steps that can prevent further tragedies.

Because regardless of whether individual broke traffic regulations or tried to escape, they should not pay for it with their lives.

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