A police officer kneels on a man’s neck in a Munich S-Bahn station: a video of this operation made headlines in July. Now it comes to the process – but not against the police officer.
Munich – After a controversial police operation in a Munich S-Bahn station, the trial against a 54-year-old for an attack on the officers begins today (10:00 a.m.).
The man has to answer for assault, insult and assault on law enforcement officers, among other things. The February 2020 incident made headlines because a police officer apparently kneeled on the accused’s head and neck during the operation.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the passenger on a S-Bahn had called a ticket inspector “Nazi and racist”. After the inspectors got out with him at the Isartor station and called the police, the man became violent. When the federal police arrived there was a scuffle. The 54-year-old had to be brought to the ground and held by five officers. Among other things, he hit a policewoman in the face and bitten into the hand.
Video from the police operation
The news magazine “Focus” published a video of the event in July of this year. According to the Federal Police, the material comes from a police body cam. How it got to the public is unclear. It shows a policeman kneeling on the passenger’s neck. According to the indictment, the officers “fixed the upper body and arms” of the man.
According to “Focus online”, the man was targeted by the officials during a ticket check, although he had a valid ticket. “A man was kneeling on my neck. I was really scared to death, “the portal quotes a man who is said to be the person on the video.
After the material became known, the Munich I public prosecutor announced that it wanted to review the Federal Police’s actions. It is a preliminary investigation to clarify whether a procedure will be initiated.
At first glance, the video is reminiscent of the deadly police operation against George Floyd in the United States, even if the consequences cannot be compared, which triggered a wave of horror and large protests.
Floyd was killed in a brutal police operation in Minneapolis on May 25 last year. Police arrested the 46-year-old for allegedly paying for a pack of cigarettes with a fake $ 20 bill. Videos of passers-by documented how police officers pushed the unarmed man to the ground. One of them pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for a good nine minutes while Floyd kept pleading to let him breathe. Floyd passed out and died a little later. The policeman was sentenced to 22 years and six months in prison. dpa
