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A police officer must appear in court on Thursday. He is said to have beaten a man with a heart condition in 2009.
The incident happened over 14 years ago. It is clear that a police officer from the Zurich city police wanted to check a man with a heart condition and his colleague in a tram. They fought back.
Legend:
It’s about this man. He has already defended himself before the Zurich district court. He accuses the police of “racial profiling”.
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
At a stop in Zurich Wiedikon another police officer arrived. The situation escalated. The man then suffered, among other things, a broken lumbar vertebra, an injured knee and bruises.
Police violence or proportional reaction?
There are different versions of the incident at the tram stop. The man accuses the two police officers of beating him, choking him and spraying him with pepper spray. When he was already handcuffed on the ground, a police officer is said to have sat on his back. In addition, he was only checked because of his skin color; it was a case of “racial profiling”.
Legend:
What happened after a tram ride over 14 years ago is controversial.
Keystone/Gaetan Bally (symbol image)
The two police officers and the female police officer described the incident differently before the Zurich district court. Accordingly, the man behaved very aggressively and caused the escalation himself. He never mentioned his heart problems. They also checked the man because he matched the profile of a wanted suspect.
Acquittal in district court
In 2018, the Zurich District Court acquitted the three defendants of charges of abuse of office and endangering life. The man’s statements are not credible.
Two of the acquittals are now legally binding. However, the prosecutor has moved forward with the verdict against the police officer who led the operation. The police officer therefore has to answer before the Zurich Higher Court.
Legend:
The hearing of the case begins on Thursday morning at the Zurich High Court.
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
One reason why it took so long until the second hearing was that the public prosecutor in charge wanted to stop the criminal proceedings several times. The Federal Court in turn prevented this setting. The man’s lawyers also accused the prosecutor and the judge of bias.