Two agents from the Pontevecchio police station in Bologna and four ambulance service professionals are being investigated for the death of Moroccan citizen Abderrahim Fakir, who died on Sunday after being subdued and handcuffed by the police.
The Bologna Prosecutor's Office has initiated proceedings for an alleged crime of involuntary manslaughter that "will take into account all the facts, which last longer than the video that has circulated online and which is also in possession of this prosecutor's office." In addition to the video circulated on social media, investigators have the recordings from the body cameras of the two involved agents.
"The entire investigation will be carried out with the relevant legal guarantees, starting with forensic examinations to quickly achieve a thorough reconstruction of the events as required by current legislation," stated the Public Prosecutor's Office.
As seen in the circulated images, Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan with a residence permit, was sprayed with pepper spray and immobilized in the middle of the street by the agents. In the recording, his screams and complaints can be heard while he remains subdued, with his head pressed against the ground. "Stop!" or "Help" are some of the expressions that can be heard.
The autopsy of the body will be carried out by a team of specialists who, under the direction of prosecutor Paolo Guido and prosecutor Domenico Ambrosino, will try to precisely establish the cause and time of death. A preliminary examination has detected injuries to the face and other areas of the head.
At the same time, the Prosecutor's Office has requested the records of calls from neighbors who alerted the police, the radio communications between the police station and the dispatched patrol vehicles, as well as the contacts between the emergency center and the mobilized medical personnel.
The police version speaks of an individual "with a psychiatric crisis" and claims that the action occurred after a citizen's alert about the presence of an "agitated" person.
The attitude of the four medical personnel present has also been the subject of criticism. The Red Cross has defended their actions, arguing that "it is unthinkable that they could intervene when there was a person who was at that moment in the hands of the security forces." "We intervened when we were allowed," emphasized the organization.
In the political sphere, the mayor of Bologna, Matteo Lepore (Democratic Party), and the president of the Emilia Romagna region, Michele De Pascale (also from the Democratic Party), have demanded that what happened be clarified, while from the right, formations like League or Brothers of Italy have rallied behind the agents.
"I am always on the side of the Police. We are waiting to understand what happened. The agents had body cameras and there is recording. We will know," declared Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.
The National Association of Police Agents has conveyed its "condolences" for the death of Fakir and has emphasized that "the seriousness of what occurred demands responsibility and respect for the truth of the facts," urging to "avoid summary judgments and premature conclusions."
At the site where the death occurred, bouquets of flowers have been placed and graffiti has appeared with slogans like "The State kills." The sister of the victim has stated that "I will not rest until my brother is avenged." "He was handcuffed and now he is dead. He was attacked and beaten. There are witnesses," she denounced. A friend of Fakir has recalled that the deceased suffered from asthma.