On the 24th of April, a Moroccan national was killed in a shoot-out with the Italian police and the Carabinieri, in Fara Vicentino, in the Vicenza province. According to a police reconstruction of the incident, the man stole a pistol from a Carabiniere and then fired, wounding a police officer. It all happened on the street, in front of eyewitnesses.
The police intervened after receiving a report of a man shouting a well-known battle cry of radical Islamism in the middle of the street – “Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest)!” Police and the Carabinieri arrived on the scene and first tried to calm the man down, but when that failed, they tried to immobilise him. In the scuffle, the furious man managed to steal a policeman’s service pistol. When he got hold of the gun, he started shooting at the surrounding area. At this point, the police returned fire and killed him.
The injured local police officer, Alex Frusti of the Alto Vicentino police station, was taken to Santorso Hospital and from there to San Bortolo Hospital in Vicenza. He was hit in two places, in the abdomen and lower limbs. He underwent lung surgery. His condition is stable, and his life is not in danger.
Mayor: the attacker mentally disturbed
“This was certainly unforeseeable; we have never had so many problems with public safety, and something like this has never happened before. I am very sorry for Alex Frusti, the injured local policeman, and I apologise to the Carabinieri, as I am sure this was not a pleasant experience for them either. It was certainly not an easy choice, and I am sorry for the deceased, I did not know him, but when these things happen, I am always sorry,” said the Mayor of Fara Vicentino.
“Frusti was seriously injured, but his life is not in danger. It seems that the attacker was mentally disturbed and managed – we don’t know how – to take the gun from one of the Carabinieri who intervened. He opened fire, and the police were forced to respond.”
Italy is in a state of emergency because of migrants
The Italian government declared a state of emergency earlier this month over the migrant crisis. Matteo Salvini, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, also took a swipe at Slovenia. He said that Slovenia will have to resume the tasks it once had but abandoned.
Namely, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister called on Slovenia to resume monitoring migrants who have crossed the border between the two countries illegally, or Italy will be forced to introduce border controls. Austria had already announced the extension of the border control measure. The Austrian Interior Minister explained the country’s decision by saying that border controls are not working, and that Slovenia is experiencing a 300% increase in illegal migration.
The Italian government’s decision comes after more than 2,000 illegal migrants have landed on the island of Lampedusa since Friday alone. The imposition of a state of emergency would facilitate an easier setting up of migrant centres. “We are experiencing a state of absolute emergency, which is putting a heavy strain on state structures. The southern Italian regions cannot cope with this emergency alone,” explained Musumeci, Minister for Civil Protection. The Italian authorities also report that the refugee camp at Lampedusa is overcrowded. It is currently hosting 1,800 people, around four times the expected capacity.
Salvini commented at the time: “It is crucial that Europe finally acts. For years it has spoken without lifting a finger, and it is time to prove that the EU is a true union and that solidarity with migrants is not just a task for Italy, Spain, Greece or Malta.”
Andrej Žitnik
