A 17-year-old Roma boy was shot dead after a police chase in the town of Thebes, north of Attica, on Saturday night.
According to media information, the police were trying to do a car search of a suspicious car in the greater area of Aliarto in the region of Viotia, however, the car did not stop.
A chase followed and at some point the car was surrounded by police in a dead-end alley in the Liontari village in Thebes.
According to police sources, one of the underage passengers tried to snatch the policeman’s gun which then went off killing the boy.
The victim’s brother claimed that it was the policeman who fired the gun.
Next to the brother also two girls were on the car, all passengers aged 15-17.
It is not yet known exactly how the shooting occurred, with police saying in a statement that the circumstances are under investigation.
According to report by OPEN TV, everything happened shortly after 12 midnight. The black vehicle, in which 4 people were on boarddid not stop at the police signal for control.
A chase ensued for about 20 km. Finally, the vehicle was trapped in a dead end by a police team. Witnesses say a gunshot was then heard, resulting in the fatal injury of the 17-year-old driver.
The policeman who owns the weapon has been detained.
In a statement minister for Citizen’s protection Giannis Oikonomou expressed condolences to the family of the young victim and stressed that “the circumstances under which the sad incident took place are under investigation by the competent authorities. In any case, ELAS, which fights daily for the safety of citizens, must operate within the framework defined by the Constitution, the laws and the rules of engagement, even in conditions of delinquency and distrust during which there is admittedly an increased risk unhappy ending. The competent police and judicial authorities are investigating the incident in all its dimensions with the foreseen and appropriate actions in order to fully clarify it”.
The Hellenic Confederation of Greek Roma (HELLAN PASSE) said in a statement recalling on other similar shootings “another gun was turned against a Roma, under circumstances that are still being investigated.”
Police and judicial authorities are investigating the issue.
An autopsy is to determine the exact causes of the Roma boy’s death and also check if the body had marks of a scuffle.
A police union representative told STAR TV that the boy had a wound in the hand palm and suggested that the victim did not stop the car because most likely did not have a driving license.
