Former policemen sentenced: Tragic intervention in Lublin

The justice system found that both defendants, Arkadiusz K. and Wojciech K., used physical force in an unauthorized and inappropriate manner. Friday's verdict is not yet final.

An intervention that ended in death

The case dates back to August 25, 2020, when a tragic intervention took place. That afternoon, the police received a report that at ul. Dear Martyrs of Majdanek, there is an aggressive man who accosts and attacks random passers-by.

Arkadiusz K. and Wojciech K. arrived at the scene and found the man at the intersection of Droga Męczenników Majdaneka with ul. Wolska and Łęczyńska. As described by "Gazeta Wyborcza", the officers allegedly saw a man kicking an elderly woman.

Upon seeing this, Arkadiusz K. allegedly jumped out of the police car and started chasing the man. After a while, he turned to the policeman and said to leave him because he was mentally ill, the daily reported.

During the intervention, Arkadiusz K. allegedly sprayed gas towards the fleeing man (to no avail due to the distance between them). In turn, Wojciech K., who was in the police car, blocked the man's escape route. Rzem and another uniformed officer finally detained him.

What happened during the ill-fated police action?

Several dozen minutes later, the man was already dead, and the policemen's accounts "diverged" from what the witnesses said, experts' opinions and the position of the prosecutor's office - summed up "Gazeta Wyborcza".