in Bologna
A man was killed in Bologna whilst in police custody
Abderrahim Fakir was 42 years old; he had been detained because he had flown into a rage. The officers sat astride him after handcuffing him
Photo: Ansa
In Bologna, around midday on Sunday, someone called the police to report a man who was causing a disturbance in Via Italo Svevo, in the working-class neighbourhood of Pilastro. The man was intoxicated and was banging his fists on the bonnet of a car. A patrol car arrived at the scene. Two officers used pepper spray and tried to restrain the man, who was struggling to break free; he was then brought to the ground. The officers straddled him, handcuffed his hands and legs, and despite this, kept him pinned to the ground. The man screamed and cried for help. The ambulance crew watched the scene in silence. They only intervened once the man had lost consciousness. Too late. He was already dead.
The man’s name was Abderrahim Fakir; he was 42 years old, of Moroccan origin, and worked for a porterage company.
According to some accounts, there was an argument between the officers and Abderrahim. When the police arrived, the man reportedly became even more agitated, and the officers called for the 118 emergency medical service to restrain him.
A sequence of events reminiscent of the one that led to the death of Federico Aldrovandi on 25 September 2005.
The investigation launched by the Bologna Public Prosecutor’s Office, led by Public Prosecutor Domenico Ambrosino, will establish the causes of the death: a post-mortem has been ordered and footage from the police officers’ bodycams has been secured, in addition to videos recorded on mobile phones by people who witnessed the tragedy.
As soon as he learnt of the incident, Police Chief Vittorio Pisani immediately contacted the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi. The two assured maximum transparency, and contact was established with senior officials at the Bologna police headquarters. The officers involved in the operation have not, as yet, been suspended from duty.
Galeazzo Bignami maintained that the police intervention was “carried out professionally and in an appropriate manner by the police”. According to the Lega, “the police did their duty. Hands off the police”, although Matteo Salvini has not yet commented as he is busy seeking a pardon for Mario Roggero. From the left, however, there has been criticism of the police’s actions. "We witnessed a live ordeal, and what’s more, in full view of the healthcare workers," said the secretary of +Europa, Riccardo Magi. For the AVS senator, Ilaria Cucchi, "a plea for help was met with force. I hope this is not yet another case, like what happened to Riccardo Magherini or Federico Aldrovandi".
