Accusation of involuntary manslaughter Court confirms acquittal for six Lausanne city police officers

Acquittal for six Lausanne police officers accused of negligently killing a suspected drug dealer. They had reacted proportionately during the operation.

Six Lausanne police officers were acquitted in an appeal trial on Monday of the charge of negligently killing a suspected drug dealer in 2018. According to the cantonal court, they had reacted proportionately during the operation.

A 39-year-old Nigerian man had resisted a drug check in Lausanne and died when he was arrested by the six accused police officers. Following an acquittal at first instance in June 2023 and three days of high-profile appeal proceedings, it was up to the three judges of the Court of Appeal to decide whether the six officers were guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

The judges also had to rule on abuse of authority, which had been added as a charge in the second instance. They acquitted the police officers on both charges.

The judges referred in particular to the forensic medical reports. These had established that it was impossible to say with certainty that the dealer had died as a result of the police operation and in particular as a result of being held in a prone position. The Court of Appeal also found that the police officers had not "culpably" breached their duty of care.

SDA