Police officer sentenced to prison for violence in Mykolaiv

In Mykolaiv, patrolling turned violent: a man's rib was broken, he was gassed and beaten while handcuffed. The court found the police captain guilty and sentenced him to a real term.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Ingulsky District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to the investigation, the incident occurred on the night of January 29, 2022, during a patrol. Police officers were chasing a Mercedes car that had violated traffic rules and stopped it on a city street. It seemed like a standard situation - checking documents. But then events developed according to a completely different scenario.

During the conversation, the driver was approached by a passenger, a lawyer, who began to make comments to the police and demanded that they follow the procedure. It was this moment, as the court found, that became a turning point: instead of a calm dialog, the situation quickly escalated into a conflict.

The court concluded that the platoon commander, a police captain, lost control of his emotions. First, he pushed the man twice, then used tear gas without warning. When he tried to move away, the gas was sprayed again.

Then the victim was thrown to the asphalt, handcuffed, and when he was already lying face down and did not actually resist, the police officer began kicking him in the chest. One of the blows resulted in a broken rib. These actions were recorded by body cameras. The video shows the victim screaming in pain and asking not to be beaten, as well as asking to call an ambulance.

However, he was not immediately helped. After the incident, administrative reports were drawn up against the man for alleged hooliganism and disobedience to police. But later the courts closed these cases due to the lack of corpus delicti.

The accused himself did not admit guilt and insisted that he acted within the law, allegedly defending himself against aggression. However, the court rejected this version, citing a combination of evidence: video, medical documents, and eyewitness testimony.

The police officer's actions were classified as abuse of power accompanied by violence. The court sentenced him to four years in prison with a three-year disqualification from holding positions in law enforcement. He was also stripped of his special rank of police captain.

The court dismissed the victim's civil claim for compensation for material and non-pecuniary damage. The physical evidence, including video recordings, was left in the case file.

Also in March, in Mykolaiv, a court imposed a pre-trial restraint on a man suspected of assaulting a police officer and a soldier during mobilization activities.

Анна Бальчінос