Four years ago, a young boy started running away at the sight of a police car. One of the policemen started chasing him, and after some time a shot was fired. As it turned out, fatal. The policeman argues that he is innocent, and the victim’s father claims that it was murder. The trial regarding the death of 21-year-old Adam from Konin has just started.
21-year-old Adam died in Konin in November 2019 after being shot by a police gun. The policeman responsible for this tragedy appeared before the District Court in Kalisz on Thursday. He was the last one to come to court – wearing a cap and a balaclava. – It gave me chills. He keeps claiming that he did not murder my son, says Mr. Artur Czerniejewski, Adam’s father.
During the hearing, Sławomir L. spoke up and addressed the 21-year-old’s father. – Mr. Artur, I had been waiting for this moment for four years, it was destroying me. I’m terribly sorry that your son is dead. I hope that knowing this will make things easier for you, said the accused policeman. The defendant did not say the word “sorry.” – No policeman has ever told me this in my life – says Mr. Artur.
Riots broke out in Konin after the death of a 21-year-old man. – I know that this man was running to kill – says the father.
The police wanted to identify him, but Adam started to run away. Drugs were allegedly involved, although the boy had never had a criminal record. The accused argues that he shot in self-defense, from the front. Only the second section and new experts determined that the shot was fired from close range and in the back. – The shot was fired from behind, towards the front. We are dealing with unintentional manslaughter – argued Wojciech Zimoń from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Łódź at the hearing.
The trial has started after the death of a 21-year-old from Konin, who died after being shot by a police gunTVN24
The policeman returned to duty
Sławomir L. allegedly cannot be accused of exceeding his powers because it is not known how and why the policeman reached for the gun.
Adam died in the arms of Sławomir L. – Since then, there has been virtually no day without me seeing that moment when he passed away, looking straight into my eyes. I held his face and shouted at him to look at me and not to fall asleep, said the accused during the trial.
After medical leave and psychological help, which the victim’s family did not receive, the policeman returned to duty. – He has not received any awards in four years. He was not promoted either – informs Michał Wójcik, Sławomir L.’s defense attorney, and adds that after the incident in 2019, his service record was absolutely correct
Five years in prison is the maximum penalty for manslaughter. Minimum – three months. The accused pleads not guilty to the crime he is accused of.
Mr. Artur still cannot come to terms with his son’s death. – To this day, I still don’t realize that my son is dead – he says.
Main photo source: Fakty TVN