Police officers are people too, they sometimes make mistakes and they can misjudge the situation. It is in the best interest of the police to explain such matters in every detail and draw conclusions – said the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Tomasz Siemoniak, in “Kropka nad i”. He commented on the events at the Krakow police station, where a handcuffed man took a police weapon and shot himself.
Minister of Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak he spoke in “Kropka nad i” on TVN24 and was asked about tragic events that took place at the police station in Krakow. A 23-year-old man suspected of murder took handcuffs from the police and shot himself. Earlier, officers found his injured partner, who died in hospital.
– We are clarifying this matter – assured the minister. As he said, “there is a prosecutor's office, there is a police structure that controls such cases.” – I talked to the Chief of Police, Superintendent Marek Boroń, about this subject. We will explain the reasons, what happened, how it was possible that (…) when something like this should not happen, someone breaks free from the handcuffs and is able to take a police weapon – he added.
When asked whether the suspected man freed himself from the handcuffs, Siemoniak replied that “he was able to take the gun.” – We are clarifying this matter – he emphasized.
According to him, “the happiness in this great misfortune is that none of the policemen were hurt, no one was injured.”
“If anyone has made mistakes, they will be held accountable.”
Remarking that there were reports that a policewoman tried to fire shots at that time, the chief Ministry of Interior and Administration he said that “the policewoman started to enforce the law in accordance with police procedure.” – If someone who is detained uses a weapon or tries to use a weapon, the policeman has the right to shoot – he pointed out.
– However, the whole story, starting from the police intervention, finding a person in such a serious condition, who was injured and died in hospital, then the circumstances of what happened at the police station, must be explained – he continued.
At the same time, he noted that “police officers are people too, they sometimes make mistakes, they can sometimes misjudge the situation.” – It is in the best interest of the police to explain such matters in every detail and draw conclusions. If anyone made mistakes, they will be held accountable, Siemoniak assured.
Siemoniak about the events in Praga Północ. “This wasn't supposed to happen.”
The host of the program, Monika Olejnik, asked about police training. She recalled that over a week ago in Warsaw's Praga Północ district, a policeman was shot by another officer during an operation. The man later died in hospital.
According to Siemoniak, “the policemen involved in this case – because this was primarily the subject of my conversation with the Chief Commander of the Police – were experienced officers.”
– They may have made mistakes, as I say, the inspection will explain everything. This shouldn't have happened, no one here will defend anyone. However, it's not like these were some inexperienced new people. These were experienced people who had detained hundreds of crime suspects so far, he added.
Main photo source: TVN24