Drunk soldier from Podhale Rifles battalion damages police cars and station in Tymbark
A 20-year-old professional soldier from the Podhale Rifles battalion was detained after damaging two police cars, two private vehicles, and the entrance to the police station in Tymbark, southern Poland, in the early hours of Saturday. He had 1.5 per mille of alcohol in his blood.
A 20-year-old professional soldier from the Polish Army's Podhale Rifles battalion went on a drunken rampage in the early hours of Saturday, damaging police vehicles and the local station in Tymbark, southern Poland. The man, who was off-duty at the time, was detained and handed over to the Military Police.
The incident
Around 3:50 a.m. on 4 July, the soldier began jumping on parked cars outside the police station in Tymbark, a town in Małopolska province. He damaged two police patrol cars and two privately owned vehicles, and also smashed the glass entrance door to the station. Witnesses reported him throwing rubbish bins in the area.
The soldier broke the glass in the entrance door to the police station, damaged two police cars and two private cars parked nearby. He was also throwing rubbish bins.
Police officers on patrol quickly intervened and detained the 20-year-old. A breathalyser test showed he had 1.5 per mille of alcohol in his system.
- Soldier begins jumping on cars and damaging the police station door.
- Police patrol detains the 20-year-old man.
- Breathalyser shows 1.5 per mille alcohol.
- Man placed in police holding cell.
- Żandarmeria Wojskowa informed and begins parallel investigation.
Detention and investigation
The man was placed in a police holding cell to sober up. The Limanowa district police are now conducting an investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and the financial losses.
We detained a 20-year-old man who, before 4 a.m. on Saturday, 4 July, damaged the entrance door to the police station in Tymbark, two police cars and two private cars. He had 1.5 per mille of alcohol. He is in our police custody.
The Military Police (Żandarmeria Wojskowa) were immediately notified, and they are conducting their own parallel investigation. The soldier will face both criminal charges in court and disciplinary consequences within the armed forces.
The soldier was definitely intoxicated. We will also check whether he was under the influence of other substances. He committed the damage off-duty, in his free time. He has been detained to sober up.
The soldier and his unit
The detained man is a professional soldier serving in the Podhale Rifles battalion, an elite mountain infantry unit of the Polish Armed Forces. He was not on duty at the time of the incident. The military has not released his name.
Evidence and next steps
Investigators have secured CCTV footage from the area, which will be used to reconstruct the sequence of events. The dual investigation by civilian police and the Military Police is ongoing, and the soldier remains in custody.
