The Public Prosecution Service is prosecuting eight police officers for their involvement in the arrest of a 32-year-old Polish man in Rotterdam. He was arrested in June last year and died not long after his arrest. Justice suspects the eight officers of having violated the so-called use of force instruction, it said on Thursday afternoon announced. The suspicion is based on the conclusions of the National Criminal Investigation Department’s investigation into the incident.
In June, the police received a report of a man who had cycled into a car and could no longer be justified. The officers used a Taser to gain control of him and then handcuffed him. According to the justice department, this “took so long” and the detainee became unwell shortly afterwards. The officers and ambulance personnel tried in vain to save the man through CPR.
The conclusion of the National Criminal Investigation Department’s investigation into the incident is that “the cause of death can simply be explained by the way in which the suspect was restrained.” Justice reports that all eight officers held the detainee while he was lying on the ground. It is still unclear when the officers will have to appear in court.