A Romanian punched and lashed out at four Italian police officers and a fifth man who tried to break up the scuffle.
The incident took place in the train station of the Italian town of Minturno, north of Naples, on April 21.
Scammed
At 7.30 in the morning police were called to the train station after an elderly person reported being scammed by a group of Romanians.
The four police officers arrived at the scene “but we were blocked by the three of them. Two fled, and the third was the most violent,” Emilio Maddaloni, one of the officers said.
The third Romanian turned violent after police officers who asked for his identity papers. Libero Quotidiano reported.
Scuffle
The Romanian lashed out, beating the officers repeatedly. “We managed to grab his hands and feet and block him,” he said. A teacher who was in the station tried to break up the fight and was injured in the scuffle.
The 21-year-old Romanian single-handedly attacked the police officers. One needed five stitches, the publication reported.
“We do not use the techniques of the American police, we do not have tasers or anything else „,the officer, Maddaloni added.
Police
„It should have been a police intervention following a report of extortion, but it turned bloody,”Andrea Cecchini, general secretary of the Celere police union said.
„In a moment, we moved from from fear of the court to the certainty of the hospital,” he added.
He said he was saddened by what had happened and said that the system was to blame for not allowing police officers to respond firmly or use weapons to restrain offenders.
Legitimate defense
„Those wear uniforms are obliged to enforce the law. But how do you respond to those who use violence against you as a police officer? Certainly with force….but we are not allowed to use (force) in legitimate defense.”
“We have to thank politicians and institutions that four police officers needed hospital treatment,” he added.
Emilio Maddaloni suffered the worst injuries. „I’m in bad shape, my lips are split and very swollen, after I was punched in the face.”
Stitches
He said another colleague needed five stitches. “One of the three Romanians was really fit . it was hard to stop it, ” he said.
There were no further details about what happened to the man or the two Romanians he was with.
