A 9th police officer is indicted related to a man’s death

Barcelona (ACN).- The judge investigating the death of a man a few hours after his arrest in Barcelona by the Catalan Police announced on Wednesday the indictment of a 9^th officer related to this case. On the 4^th November, 8 Catalan Police officers were indicted and suspended from active service for physical aggression - which might have caused the arrestee’s death, trying to destroy evidence and consequently obstructing justice. There are videos from witnesses showing that Catalan Police officers apparently beat up Juan Andrés Benítez once he was already on the ground. The 9^th officer is indicted not for the physical aggression but for allegedly cleaning up remains of blood on the street after the victim’s arrest, therefore obstructing the judicial investigation. However, the Catalan Home Affairs Ministry has not suspended this 9^th policeman, as the charges “are not so severe” as for the other 8 officers who actively participated in the arrest, but has announced on Wednesday he is transferred to another police station.

The case has generated a huge controversy in Catalonia, since it is not the first time Catalan Police have been involved in a violence abuse case. Some of these cases have happened in the last few months, such as the complaint filed by a journalist accusing police of physical aggression. However, the most famous one is the controversy around the anti-riot Brigade and their use of rubber bullets. Besides, on the investigation of Benítez’s death, the involvement of the Spanish Police and the use some Spanish Nationalist media and politicians have made of this case have also contributed to increasing the controversy. In fact, the Catalan Police have been a preferred target for Spanish Nationalists since they started to assume police tasks in Catalonia in the late 1990s, partially replacing the Spanish Police Corps.

Benitez died a few hours after he had a fight and was arrested by the Catalan Police

In early October in Barcelona’s Raval neighbourhood, 8 policemen allegedly punched and kicked the businessman Juan Andrés Benítez while they were arresting him after a fight with another person. The victim died a few hours after his arrest from a heart attack, allegedly provoked by 5 punches received on his head, according to the autopsy and the judge’s report. Based on statements from witnesses, the videos recorded by them with their mobile phones and a report by the Spanish Police, there are serious suspicions that the 5 deadly punches were made during his arrest by Catalan Police officers. Furthermore, the policemen involved would have tried to clean up the blood on the ground and asked the neighbours to erase the recorded videos. Accordingly, the judge indicted the 8 policemen for physical aggression, which could have caused Benítez’ death a few hours later, trying to destroy evidence and consequently obstructing justice.

The judge “clearly”  considers the 8 police officers as “authors” or “co-authors” of beating up Benítez

Last week,  these 8 officers were interrogated by the judge. After their statements, the judge said she saw “clearly”  that they were implicated as “authors” or “co-authors” of a physical assault during Juan Andrés Benítez’s arrest. According to the autopsy, the victim died from a heart attack provoked by 5 punches in the head. According to the judicial investigation and videos from witnesses, police officers beat up the victim. However, what is still unclear is whether the victim had already received the deadly 5 punches before the Catalan Police’s aggression, since he was already fighting with another man. According to some witnesses, Benítez was already bleeding from the head before the arrival of the Catalan Police, but this fact was not initially included in the Spanish Police’s report investigating the case. However, after the press released news of a call made by Benitez to Barcelona Local Police in which he was saying he was bleeding, the Spanish Police modified its initial report and included this fact in the final document.