Verdict reached in trial regarding death of suspect in police vehicle in Kocaeli
Two police officers and a night watchman have each been sentenced to 21 years in prison for causing the death of one suspect and the injury of another while they were in a police vehicle in Kocaeli.
AA
In an incident that took place in Kocaeli, one suspect lost his life and another was injured following a struggle inside a police vehicle. The court sentenced the 2 police officers and 1 night watchman involved in the incident to 21 years in prison each.
The hearing at the Kocaeli 3rd High Criminal Court was attended by the detained defendants, night watchman U.O., and police officers M.E.C. and M.Y., along with the lawyers for both parties. The complainant A.G. (50), who was injured in the incident, did not attend the hearing.
Given the floor during the hearing, complainant lawyer Bedirhan Teker requested that the defendants be punished for the crime of intentional homicide.
Defendant police officer M.E.C. claimed that they intervened in a proportionate manner against the deceased and the complainant, stating, "We tried to perform our duty. We used proportionate intervention because they were trying to escape."
Police officer M.Y. also stated that this situation had deeply shaken them, saying, "My colleagues and I did everything we could for the person to live. We made a great effort so that he would not die. We are very saddened."
Night watchman U.O. said that they were protecting the suspects from a lynching attempt at the hospital and that they were sorry that such an incident had occurred.
Announcing its verdict, the court panel sentenced the defendants to 18 years each for the crime of "causing death as a result of intentional injury in a way that leads to bone fractures in the body" against the deceased M.S. (49), and 3 years each for the crime of "intentional injury" against the complainant A.G.
THE INCIDENT
M.S. and A.G., suspects in a sexual abuse case in Zonguldak, were apprehended by police teams in Istanbul on May 22, 2023. While traveling in a police vehicle on the Anadolu Motorway Kocaeli section, a struggle broke out between the suspects and the night watchman U.O. and police officers M.E.C. and M.Y. During this time, M.S., one of the suspects who was seriously injured, lost his life at the hospital to which he was taken.