The prosecutor's office has interrogated the police officer who had fatally shot another officer during an intervention on Inżynierska Street in Warsaw. The investigation concerns exceeding authority and causing serious bodily harm resulting in death. The officer has already been charged, and a request for his temporary arrest followed. The court approved an arrest request for the man who was wielding a machete, to whom the police had been called in the first place on the tragic evening.
The spokesperson for the Warszawa-Praga District Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor Norbert Woliński, informed the media on Monday (November 25) morning about the actions taken regarding the police officer who had shot another officer with his service weapon on Saturday.
"The local prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation into exceeding the officer's authority, causing serious bodily harm leading to death. This is an offense under Article 156, Paragraph 3 of the Penal Code, in connection with Article 231, Paragraph 1, and Article 11, Paragraph 2," said Woliński.
He explained that the prosecutors working on the case had already analyzed the evidence. "Several prosecutors worked on this yesterday. They reviewed body camera footage, a recording made with a mobile phone, and questioned eyewitnesses to the incident," he listed.
Arrest for the man with the machete
The tragic intervention, during which a police officer was wounded, took place on Saturday, November 23, on Inżynierska Street in Praga Północ. The officer was shot and died later that day in the hospital. According to the Warsaw Police Headquarters (KSP), the weapon was used by one of the intervening officers. The police were called to an aggressive man who was wielding a machete. He was subdued, arrested, and taken to the police station. The man was known to the police and had been previously recorded in their files.
On Monday, Woliński informed the press that the prosecution had already initiated proceedings against the man before the Saturday incident. "In this case, which includes materials from the Saturday incident, he is suspected of six offenses, including making criminal threats, causing bodily harm, and possessing narcotics. Legal proceedings have already been carried out with him. Today, the prosecutor will file a request for the man's temporary arrest," he explained.
Later on Monday, the prosecutor informed that the court agreed with the prosecutor's motion and imposed a three-month detention on the man whose behavior led to the police intervention.
"The suspect did not admit to the alleged offense"
After 3:30 p.m, Woliński reported that the interrogation of the police officer who fatally shot his colleague had been completed. "During this interrogation, the suspect was presented with the charge of committing an offense under Article 156, Paragraph 1, Point 2, Paragraph 3 of the Penal Code in connection with Article 231, Paragraph 1 of the Penal Code, as well as Article 11, Paragraph 2, i.e., exceeding his powers and unjustifiably using his service weapon, causing an injury that posed a real danger to life, and subsequently causing the death of another person. The suspect did not admit to the alleged offense. He provided an explanation," the prosecutor said.
After the interrogation, the prosecutor decided to submit a motion for the temporary arrest of the suspect for a period of three months. This motion has already been filed with the District Court for Warsaw Praga-Północ. According to the latest information the prosecutor received, the hearing regarding the approval of the motion will take place on Tuesday.
For the charges presented to the suspect, the penalty could range from no less than five years of imprisonment to a life sentence.
The prosecutor also stated that a motion for the temporary arrest of the man with the machete, involved in the incident the police officers responded to, was filed in court on Monday. The hearing for this case was still ongoing.
The policeman had been in service for over a year
The police explained that the officer who had fired the fatal shot was "a young policeman, but it was not his first day on duty."
"He underwent basic training, and after completing it, he began serving in a territorial unit. He was accepted into the police almost 1.5 years ago and has been serving the public ever since, standing guard over their safety alongside other officers. In accordance with the law and established guidelines, he participated in interventions and took part in law enforcement duties," stated the police.
According to TVN24 reporter Robert Zieliński’s findings, the officer had served primarily in smaller towns in the Mazovia region, where he was under the supervision of senior officers. He had received positive evaluations.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, tvnwarszawa.pl, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: PAP/Paweł Supernak