Lisbon, Nov. 24, 2024 (Lusa) - On Thursday, the family of Odair Moniz, who was killed by a police officer a month ago, filed a complaint against the Public Security Police (PSP) for abuse of power, one of the defence lawyers told Lusa.
At issue is what the family considers to have been the police raid on a house in mourning a few days after Odair Moniz's death, which they say resulted in psychological and material damage.
Right then, the family mentioned the possibility of filing a complaint against the police, which was formalised on Thursday, one of the defence lawyers confirmed to Lusa on the sidelines of the Popular Assembly of Neighbourhoods. The assembly, which is taking place today at the Carnide Cultural Centre in Lisbon's Padre Cruz neighbourhood, is bringing together two hundred participants from various communities.
The complaint - for crimes of abuse of power, damage and housebreaking by an official - was filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office against the PSP General Command and also against unknown persons since the defence does not know the identity of the agents allegedly involved in the intervention.
Odair Moniz, a resident of the Zambujal neighbourhood in Amadora, was fatally shot by a PSP officer in Cova da Moura, also in the same municipality, triggering incidents in several communities in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, with buses, cars, motorbikes and rubbish bins being set on fire, resulting in two dozen arrests and at least six people injured, one of them seriously (the driver of a bus).
Odair Moniz, a 43-year-old Cabo Verde citizen, was shot in the early hours of 21 October.
According to the PSP's official version, he fled in a car after seeing a police vehicle. He crashed in Cova da Moura, where, when approached by the officers, he "resisted arrest and tried to assault them with a bladed weapon".
The SOS Racismo association and the Vida Justa movement contested the police version. They demanded a "serious and impartial" investigation to establish responsibility, considering that "a culture of impunity" in the police force is at stake.
The authorities have launched inquiries, but no conclusions are yet known.
According to the lawyer of the officer who shot Odair Moniz, he remains on sick leave. He is waiting to be called to make a statement as part of the disciplinary proceedings he has been subjected to.
According to the same source, the officer made a statement to the Judicial Police "immediately after the events" in the early hours of 21 October but has not yet made a statement to the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Odair Moniz's family has since launched a fundraising campaign (available online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/justica-por-odair-moniz), which has already raised more than €29,000.
SBR/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
