A young man in Siberia has died after police used a taser to wake him up, a local lawmaker and the victim’s mother said nearly two weeks after the tragedy Thursday.
Dmitry Kharchenko fell asleep in the back of a taxi on his way home from a nightclub on Feb. 15. The driver reportedly asked police officers for help after failing to wake him up.
“They tased him and he died,” Irkutsk city Duma deputy Alexander Kvasov was quoted by Interfax as saying Thursday.
The 24-year-old’s mother, Margarita Kharchenko, said in a Facebook post that her son died of heart failure.
The officers, A. Ankheyev and A. Lyubimov, were fired and placed in pre-trial detention for two months Saturday, Kharchenko wrote on Sunday. News reports identified them as Alexander Ankheyev and Arkady Lyubimov.
The Irkutsk region’s Investigative Committee said Thursday that the two officers were charged with abuse of power.
The regional police department later said the arrested officers were attempting to “revive” the passenger because he was unconscious.
“It’s premature to say that the officers’ actions could have led to the person’s death,” Interfax quoted its press service as saying.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
