"We have never seen anything like this in Modena. Until now I had only seen things like this in American videos. They resorted to unnecessary violence. If a person resists legitimate control, they should be contained, not beaten."
The lawyer Barbara Bettelli, who defends the 23-year-old Guinean arrested yesterday in Modena, comments thus on the video released on social media which shows a policeman punching him while trying to get him into the company car.
The young man's lawyer, who is legal and has a job as an assistant chef in a restaurant in the province, will evaluate whether to file a complaint.
Yesterday after validation he was released.
During the hearing to validate the arrest for resisting a public official and causing damage, yesterday morning in court in Modena, the 23-year-old declared that he had been "beaten in the face and leg" and that he had not caused damage to his car. police service.
The hearing took place yesterday morning, before the video began to circulate on social media, filmed by a passer-by, showing a phase of the arrest, with a policeman punching him while he was trying to get the young man into the car.
But there were no signs of injury on him.
The young man reportedly told the judge that he was at the bus stop on his way to work when he was checked.
He did not have the documents with him and would have told the military, reports his lawyer, Barbara Bettelli, that he could have called a friend who would have brought them to him.
At that point, however, he would have been invited to get into the car to go to the barracks and he didn't want to.
"At the hearing it was said that he was checked because he seemed suspicious. But in my opinion there was no indication that he was committing a crime", explains the lawyer.
This is a boy who arrived in Italy a few years ago "on a boat" and "there are no previous convictions".
After having worked as a dishwasher, he currently works as an assistant chef in a restaurant in the province "and is much appreciated by its owner".
The hearing was postponed to April 18.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA