Abderrahim Fakir dies after police restraint in Bologna; video shows officers kneeling on him
Abderrahim Fakir, 42, died on Sunday after being pepper-sprayed, handcuffed, and held face-down on the ground by officers in the Pilastro district. A video shows him crying for help while medical staff looked on.
The incident
On Sunday 19 July, late in the morning, residents of Bologna's Pilastro district called the emergency number 113 to report a man acting aggressively in via Svevo. Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan-born man who had lived in Italy since the age of seven, was shouting and hitting parked cars. When a police patrol arrived, Fakir also struck the police vehicle. Officers deployed pepper spray and forced him to the ground. With the help of two residents and in the presence of 118 medical personnel, they handcuffed his wrists behind his back using plastic ties and attempted to restrain his ankles. Shortly afterward, Fakir suffered a medical emergency and died at the scene.
Video captures final minutes
A 5-minute 27-second video, filmed by a neighbor from a window and published by La Repubblica, shows Fakir face-down on the asphalt with two uniformed officers on top of him. One officer presses down on his upper body and head, while a third person in civilian clothing holds his ankles. Fakir can be heard crying out repeatedly: "Aiuto. Basta, basta!" (Help! Enough!). Two paramedics stand nearby but do not intervene. After several minutes, Fakir stops moving and falls silent. The officers then step away, and the medical staff turn him over, finding him unresponsive.
- Residents report a man acting aggressively in via Svevo.
- Police patrol arrives; Fakir strikes the police vehicle.
- Officers use pepper spray and force Fakir to the ground.
- Fakir is handcuffed with plastic ties, held face-down by two officers and a civilian.
- Fakir repeatedly shouts 'Aiuto! Basta, basta!' while paramedics look on.
- After several minutes, Fakir falls silent and stops moving.
- Medical staff turn him over and find him unresponsive; death is certified.
Official response and investigation
Bologna police headquarters stated that the officers intervened at the request of citizens and were assisted by passers-by in containing the man.
The bodycam recordings of the officers who intervened, which recorded the operations, will be made immediately available to the judicial authority.
Prosecutor Paolo Guido will examine the footage, witness testimony, and the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death and any criminal charges. Under a recently introduced "penal shield" law, the registration of the officers as suspects could be delayed by up to 120 days while a preliminary review is conducted.
Family and community outrage
Fakir's sister, Katia Fakir, arrived at the scene after his death had been certified. Visibly distraught, she told reporters:
They kill us every day! They kill our children! We need our King's help, also to avenge my brother.
She insisted her brother had been beaten and killed by the police, appealing to residents of the surrounding buildings as witnesses. That evening, a peaceful protest march organized by the family drew neighbors and supporters to the Pilastro district, with chants against law enforcement.
Political fallout
The death quickly drew reactions from opposition politicians. Matteo Mauri, a Democratic Party (PD) deputy and the party's national security spokesperson, said:
What happened today in Pilastro is deeply painful. There can be no ambiguity: every circumstance must be ascertained with rigor and transparency, without delay.
PD senator Sandra Zampa added that not only the family and the Moroccan community but the entire city of Bologna deserved answers. The party called on Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to address parliament and clarify the sequence of events. Italian media drew parallels to the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
