Trial starts against police who used tasers

It was in march last year as a clip from Sergels torg square was spread on social media. The film shows how the police motar remove the counter-demonstrators after the uproar incurred in connection with a nazi action.

In the clip shows how a police officer goes after one of the persons down a flight of stairs and targeted his weapons against him. Elpistolens clattering warning sound is heard, and at the end of the stairs falling man.

now charged with suspicion of misconduct on three counts. Chief prosecutor Martin Tidén do not want to comment on the case before the trial. He says that this is the first prosecution in Sweden regarding suspected misconduct, after the use of tasers.

– It is the first and only prosecution until now. There is quite a few criminal prosecution if the police våldsanvändande at all, " says Martin Tidén.

the police not have fired elchockvapnet sharp.

It is described instead how the police brought the man in the staircase of a so-called ”drivstöt” by pressing their unsecured weapons against him. The prosecutor says that there was something in the målsägandes behavior that motivated it.

A drivstöt means that the police activated elchocksvapnets alert function that allows the weapon clatter and flashes. If the weapon when coming into contact with a person so released some power, but the body is hamstrung not at a sharp firing.

Deniz Ünal says that his client would take the subway from T-centralen when he saw how the police turned away people from the site.

" He has gone there for that reason, but he has not himself used violence. In the situation that is filmed so you can see how the police raised the elpistolen, crying ”you shall have this?”. My principal goes, when he has his back to the police so he gets a shock as he tumbles headlong down the stairs. There is nothing in my form behaviour, which means that it has been justified to shock him with tasers from behind a staircase, " says Deniz Ünal.

Johan Eriksson says that his client believes that the management of elchockvapnet was proportionate with regard to the tumultuous situation. The policeman says that he has enabled elchockvapnets warning system, but not pressed the weapon against the man in the stairs, and given him a drivstöt.

– He is there because the situation is very heated. His task is then to try to calm down the situation and get people to leave the site. He says that he has been guilty of misconduct.

Johan Eriksson describes today's trial as a sort of first review of the legal situation with the police's new tasers.

" You want to have tested the limits of the use going, says Johan Eriksson.

the Trial is expected to end on Tuesday.