Police Allegedly Uses “Force” in 14 y.o. Canister Shooting Case

B.E., a 14 year old boy who was hit by a police tear gas bombs canister in Istanbul’s  Okmeydanı district, is still lying unconscious at Okmeydanı Education and Research Hospital. 

Having suffered from two brain hemorrhages, B.E.’s situation remains critical to this day with the ongoing loss of consciousness. 

We are expecting my son to gain consciousness and open his eyes again but no changes happened, Sami E., B.E.’s father, told bianet. 

“Unable to explain with restoration of public order” 

Advocate Evrim Deniz Karatana filed a lawsuit to Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office against the police officer who allegedly injured B.E. 

The lawsuit reminded that B.E. suffered from brain trauma due to a gas bomb canister tha hit in the head on June 16. It added that B.E. was operated twice and kept in ICU for two weeks.  

“Law enforcement officers attempted to murder B.E. by deliberately aiming from 90 degree angle. Although the instruction manual of gas bombs order police forces to not aim directly at people and shoot with 45 degree angle from a far distance, it was done with a 90 degree angle from a 10 meter distance. This is explicitly an attempted murder.” 

“Not only that you can’t explain an action leading to brain hemorrhage of 14 year old boy with the restoration of public order, but also it can’t be said to be within the borders of law.” 

The lawsuit also demanded the identification of law enforcement officers who were on active-duty in Eren Street of Okmeydanı’s Mahmut Şevket Paşa neighborhood around 8 am local time on June 16. 

Furthermore, it requested an investigation on nearby surveillance cameras and witnesses. 

The suspected policemen committed torture and attempted murder crimes and they must be prosecuted accordingly, advocate Karatana stated in the lawsuit. 

However, Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office declined the charges after their issuance on June 25, commuting them with “overstepping competence on the use of force” according to Turkish Penal Code Article 256/1.   

“This showed alone what kind of logical framework they will use in this investigation,” Karatana said. (AS/BM)