Misunderstanding in the elevator: Process for police operation in Vienna

Misunderstanding in the elevator: Process for police operation in Vienna

A disappointing experience in the elevator ended in a scandalous process in front of the Vienna Regional Court of Criminal Matters. On October 18, the negotiation against a 28-year-old and his mother, who are on trial due to a misunderstanding during a police operation. The incident occurred in April 2023 when the duo got stuck in a elevator in Floridsdorf. During the panic -like situation in which the young man experienced considerable stress, there was a chain reaction that the police finally called on the scene.

The reference accident started a cascade of events. The 28-year-old, who has been suffering from panic attacks since childhood, despaired the emergency call without anyone reacted. In order to escape his fear, he hit the elevator window. This aroused the attention of a neighbor who immediately informed the police. At the time of their arrival, mother and son were already liberated, but the situation escalated quickly.

dubious interpretations

When the 28-year-old, still driven by fear, ran outside to snap fresh air, interpreted the incoming police officers as an attempt to flee. In the assumption that it is a fleeting, they called for reinforcements, including a service dog and additional vehicles. This overreaction led to a violent collision between the police and the mother-son team. According to reports, the young man tried to act against the officials, which culminated in a physical argument. The service dog bit him during the meeting, whereupon the man of the man and he sat down against the animal.

Such incidents raise questions about the appropriateness of the police violence. The defense of the mother-son duo considers the allegations that were raised against them-including resistance to state authority and cruelty to animals-as unsustainable. Her lawyer demands a deeper investigation into police violence during the mission, especially because a viewer filmed the action and the police then expressed a request for deletion towards the person.

planned testimony

The negotiation that started on Friday was postponed to December 2. In the next session, a large number of police officers and the person who recorded the video are to testify as witnesses. Defense hopes for the possibility of invalidate the allegations made against their clients and convey a clearer picture of the chaotic events.

Details about this incident are still sparse, but www.meinbezirk.at that the next judicial steps will be decisive to clarify the facts. The question of the appropriate reaction of the police and the proportionality of their measures is increasingly being discussed.