Police Officer Who Shot One Person to Death in Adana Arrested

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After one person was shot to death in Adana province on the ground that he did not abide by the "stop" warning of the police as part of partial curfew measures, one police officer has been arrested.

Shot to death by a police bullet, Syrian El Hemdan has lost his life at the hospital where he was treated after the incident.

In a written statement released by the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it has been announced that police officer F.K. was referred to the Penal Judgeship of Peace on charge of "wilful murder" and arrested.

The Prosecutor's Office has also indicated that "the investigation launched into the incident is meticulously carried out."

Statement by Governor's Office

Releasing a statement about the issue earlier today (April 28), the Governor's Office of Adana indicated that the person in question was shot "by mistake" and the police officer was suspended from duty.

The Office shared the following information:

"While our teams from the Seyhan District Security Directorate were conducting checks in the Sucuzade Neighborhood in Seyhan at around 12 p.m. on April 27, 2020, a person named A.H. with Syrian origin did not abide by the stop warning and run and he was wounded by mistake as a result of the ensuing warning shot. Referred to hospital in a wounded state, A.H. has lost his life despite all interventions. While the related police officer has been suspended from duty, the administrative and judicial inquiries still continue."

'He was on his way to work'

It has been reported that Ali El Hemdan, a refugee from Syria, was shot in the heart by the police on the ground that he did not abide by their "stop" warning. Having lost his life at the hospital where he was taken after the incident, El Hemdan was reportedly under the age of 20 and he was on the street on the day of incident because he was going to work.

When the incident was first reported in the press yesterday (April 27), it was alleged that El Hemdan was shot in the leg. However, in the images shared on social media, it can be seen that he was shot in the heart.

As reported by Volkan Pekal from Evrensel, Ali El Hemdan was a 19-year-old worker from Syria and he was working in a workshop to sustain his family. Speaking to El Hemdan's relatives, Evrensel has further reported that he encountered police control when he took a break from his job and as the ones aged 20 and under are not allowed to go out due to the outbreak, he started running, fearing that he would be fined for violating the curfew. 

The relatives of El Hemdan have also said that when he was shot, he did not have his temporary protection ID with him. (AÖ/SD)