The video of a young man lying on the ground, handcuffed and in pain with a policeman attempting to assess his condition, has gone viral on social media. The incident took place on Tuesday evening in the center of Brussels, on Boulevard Lemonnier. According to the police, the young man was born in 2005 and was driving a stolen vehicle in Walloon Brabant. The police report charged him with malicious obstruction of traffic and “armed rebellion” due to the stolen vehicle. Witnesses contradict the police’s version, stating that the police car first hit the moped, causing the driver to lose control and fall at the corner of the street. After the fall, the police handcuffed the young man and ignored him for a few moments until bystanders alerted them to his condition. Traders claim that the young man was not the one who stole the vehicle and that his friends robbed him and let him take a ride around the neighborhood. The incident raises comparisons to the deaths of Adil in 2020 and Sabrina and Ouassim in 2017 for similar circumstances. Another young man on a scooter died on Saturday evening following a traffic accident near Gare du Nord. More than 600 euros have been collected for his family.
It’s a video that turns every hour a little more on social networks. We see a young man, lying on the ground, handcuffed and writhing in pain. Above him, a policeman seems to be taking care of his case, it is difficult to say what he is doing to the handcuffed young man, but he seems to be making sure of his state of health, visibly struck by the ‘impact. The scene takes place on Tuesday evening, shortly after 6 p.m., on Boulevard Lemonnier, in the center of Brussels.
Two Versions
According to the police, it would be a young man born in 2005, and still a minor, who was at the controls of a stolen vehicle in Walloon Brabant. A report has been drawn up for malicious obstruction of traffic, informs the Brussels Capital Ixelles police zone. The report also mentions an “armed rebellion” on the part of the scooter drivers, the weapon in question being the stolen vehicle. In his fall, the young man would also have hit a policeman and injured him, attributing to him two weeks of work interruption.
On the spot, traders and witnesses report that the police car first came to touch the moped before the driver lost control and ended his fall at the corner of Boulevard Lemonnier and rue Philippe De Champagne. On the side of the police, we deny very formally, and insistently, this version.
After the impact, the youngster was lying on the pavement, “the police first handcuffed him before ignoring him for a few moments, when passers-by told them he was dying, they took care of him,” continues a local trader. According to them, the young man on the scooter was not the one who stole it, “it was his friends who robbed him, and let him take a walk around the neighborhood with”. A version that calls into question the prosecution of Walloon Brabant. The complexity would come from the fact that two young men were on the vehicle at the time, but neither the police nor the prosecution are able to confirm whether one of the two was guilty of the theft.
Already dead
This story recalls the death of Adil, 19, in April 2020 in Anderlecht when he too was trying to evade a police check while he was on a scooter. Or that of Sabrina and Ouassim, also on a scooter, who died after an accident caused during a chase in 2017.
Saturday evening, another young man on a scooter died near the Gare du Nord following a traffic accident. A kitty has also been opened for this purpose, bringing together more than 600 euros.
The incident on Boulevard Lemonnier in Brussels leaves many unanswered questions and conflicting versions of events. What is clear is a young man was handcuffed and in pain, while a policeman seemed to be taking care of him. The police report indicates the young man was driving a stolen vehicle, and there was an armed rebellion involved. However, witnesses claim the police car touched the moped before the driver lost control, and the young man was not the one who stole it. This incident is reminiscent of previous deaths resulting from police chases involving scooters, highlighting the dangers and complexities of such situations. As more information comes to light, it is important to seek clarity and accountability.