34-year-old Bartek died after a police intervention in Lubin. We spoke with the lawyer representing the man's family and with his friend, who was at a protest today concerning the way people are treated by the police.
– This case is a complete scandal. First of all, if we have a 65-kilogram man and as many as four police officers restrain him, what does that say? In my opinion, and based on what I know preliminarily, he was suffocated. And this person did not die in hospital at all; he died when he was lying on the asphalt, on the road—he was simply suffocated – says Dr. Wojciech Kasprzyk, the lawyer representing the deceased man's family.
– The protest was supposed to be peaceful. At the scene, it turned out to be quite different. People were dismantling the entrance barriers in order to throw bricks, paving slabs and stones. What led to this? Probably people's helplessness in the face of the death of someone who, whatever he may have done, did not deserve such an end – says Dominik Medard, a friend of the deceased.
– If someone is aggressive, we handcuff him—his hands; even his legs can be shackled if possible. He was a 65-kilogram young man. And here four grown men lie on top of him. This is simply abnormal. I am reminded of the Stachowiak case. I do not know whether this is not a very similar case to Stachowiak's. All that was missing were stun guns and batons, so they could hit such a young man. To me, this is a scandal, an outrage. This is a textbook situation in which the officers who carried out these actions should face consequences – lawyer Kasprzyk adds.
– Bartek is my friend. I was not there, so it is difficult for me to judge, but Bartek certainly is not someone who could pose a threat to someone else's health. He certainly did not deserve such an end – says Dominik Medard.
– I spoke with his father. He is shocked. He says that the police are handling everything themselves. The second attorney appointed in the case was not even informed about the autopsy. Moreover, police officers were questioned without the family's attorneys being present. What kind of standards are these in Poland? Scandalous things have been happening in this country lately, and I can see that this is also reflected at the lower level, here locally. Those who know at least a little about the Stachowiak case—I can say frankly, although I would not like to use these words, that when I have watched this from the beginning, it has prompted a number of similar thoughts in me. It surprises and terrifies me. The question is how many people actually saw what was happening there and why did the police lie at the very beginning? It is interesting whether this is their line of defense or whether they simply counted on people not having recorded video footage. But we will clarify that during the trial – says Dr. Wojciech Kasprzyk.
– While taking pictures (during the protest—editor's note), I was detained by the police. My phone was yanked away. The police prevented me from calling anyone—my family, friends or you. Then I was informed that this was not an arrest, that I was not detained. So I said to the police: “How is that? I am not detained, but I cannot use my own phone?” I could not record; ten officers simply stood over me – adds Dominik Medard.