A fresh incident of extreme, unprovoked violence by a member of the Motorcycle Patrol Police Unit (DIAS) against a 20-year-old motorcyclist on Holy Thursday came to light last week following a social media post by a relative of the victim. This marks yet another reckless pursuit by the DIAS team, which escalated into a gross abuse of power, leaving the young man in intensive care with clear signs of brutal injuries to his face and body, including serious cranial trauma. The officer had repeatedly struck him with his radio until the young man lost consciousness. "It was an unprovoked attack, which could have led to actual murder, and remained an attempted murder not due to the will of the officers but because, by sheer chance, an emergency responder was passing by," said the family’s lawyer, Fotis Bampanis, speaking to TPP. "If my child is alive today, it's because of that paramedic," the victim’s father later told TPP.

Report by Iliana Zervou

Reading this complaint once again filled me with anger at the harsh reality of unchecked and savage police brutality that we are continually confronted with in Greek society. I then spoke with the family’s lawyer, gaining an even deeper understanding of the extent of the violence involved. It’s telling that the assault only stopped when a passing paramedic intervened, pulled the officer away, and provided first aid to the severely injured young man. “It’s true that the violence only stopped when the paramedic intervened,” the lawyer remarked, sparking real questions about what might have happened had the officer’s unchecked aggression continued.

The lawyer further explained that the family’s legal action includes a charge of attempted murder.

“It was an unprovoked attack, which could have led to actual murder, and remained an attempted murder only because that paramedic happened to be there. This random paramedic,” he emphasised, adding firmly, “Had he not passed by, they might have killed him.”

The timeline of events

According to the family’s lawyer, Fotis Bampanis, the young man and his friend were out for a ride on their motorbike when they were approached by members of the DIAS unit. However, instead of a standard check, the officers began mocking them. “They were teasing him,” Bampanis explained, adding that the young man may have interpreted this as an indication to pull over. However, as the 20-year-old held a licence for a smaller motorcycle than the one he was riding, he panicked and sped off, initiating the chase.

During this pursuit, the young rider committed various traffic violations, such as running red lights – actions that constitute misdemeanours but in no way justify the extreme violence that followed. Eventually, the motorcycle collided with another vehicle, although neither of the two young men were injured, and the pursuit abruptly ended. At this point, the officer began “beating him senselessly,” as Bampanis put it. This is confirmed by the young man’s immediate transfer to the Intensive Care Unit at Evangelismos Hospital.

“Why? Because the situation was tragic. It was completely out of control,” clarified the lawyer.

The violence stopped only when a passing paramedic intervened

The officer’s brutal assault on the man in the street was witnessed by a passing paramedic, who intervened, halting the attack and providing first aid to the severely injured youth. “It’s true that the police officer’s violence only stopped when the paramedic intervened,” said Bampanis, raising real concerns about where the officer’s unchecked aggression could have led had the paramedic not been there.

Later, the lawyer confirmed that the family’s complaint includes charges of attempted murder. “It was an unprovoked attack, which could have led to actual murder, and remained an attempted murder not due to the officers’ intent, but because a paramedic happened to pass by. This random paramedic,” he stressed, before adding sharply, “If he hadn’t passed by, they could have killed him.”

Legal actions and police response

Bampanis revealed that the family has filed charges against all involved officers for crimes including attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, threats, and insults. However, despite the incident happening a week ago, the identity of the officer responsible for the beating has not been disclosed, although all officers involved were wearing identification badges.

Regarding interactions with the police, Bampanis mentioned that there had been an initial attempt to dissuade the family from filing the complaint. “When we tried to submit the complaint, they tried to stop us,” he explained, detailing how they were met with responses like “Please go elsewhere” and “We’re not responsible, you need to go to Internal Affairs.” “Internal Affairs?” Bampanis remarked with frustration, clarifying, “Internal Affairs deals with cases involving financial wrongdoing. This is a case of raw power abuse and brutal violence.”

Nevertheless, Bampanis informed TPP that the Greek Police had assured him an investigation would be conducted to determine which officers were on duty at the time of the incident, and that all officers would be summoned to be identified. Days later, the Greek Police issued a statement focusing almost entirely on the “responsibility” of the victim, and regarding the alleged actions of the police, only mentioned that “a preliminary and administrative investigation is underway, as per standard procedure in such cases, to ascertain the validity of the claims regarding the officers’ conduct.”

The victim’s father pointed out that identifying the officer responsible should be straightforward, since the officer who arrested the young man would have been on record. “It’s the officer who made the arrest. The units responding to the call for backup would have logged their presence. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for seven motorcycles and a patrol car to be there,” he said, reasoning that the authorities could easily trace which units were involved. He also clarified that there has been no further update from the police on the investigation.

The 20-year-old has been charged with traffic violations and resisting arrest for failing to stop when signalled by the police. “The driver was arrested for dangerous driving, disobedience, and driving without a licence. He was also fined €2,425 for three red light violations, not having a licence, improper use of protective gear, and driving the wrong way down a one-way street,” read a statement from the police.

However, despite admitting that an investigation is underway, the Greek Police statement hastily closed by pre-emptively exonerating the officers. “The police officers, especially those on the front lines, will continue their daily fight under difficult and often dangerous circumstances to uphold the law, maintain traffic order, and ensure everyone’s safety,” concluded the statement, highlighting once again how disconnected the authorities are from grasping the real meaning of ‘safety.’

From the moment the young man encountered the DIAS unit, it seems he was overwhelmed by fear. From the moment he fled to the moment he cried out, “I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m sorry,” before the violence erupted uncontrollably.

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