Thessaloniki police and TikToker arrested after car chase and vehicle damage dispute

Vehicle pursuit on Lagkada Street

A high-speed pursuit in Thessaloniki on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, resulted in the arrest of TikTok influencer Teo Vasilias Tsoundasian along with two Hellenic Police officers. The incident began near the Analipsi toll station, where officers assigned to the Aliens Department were conducting operations to detect irregular migrant trafficking. Police reported that they spotted a vehicle traveling at high speed and gave signals for the driver to pull over for an inspection. The driver did not comply with the instructions and accelerated toward the urban center of Thessaloniki. The ensuing chase moved through city streets and reached Lagkada Street, where the vehicle crashed into several parked cars while attempting to escape.

Disputes over vehicle entry and glass breakage

Following the crashes, officers approached the vehicle to extract the driver, leading to conflicting accounts of how the entry was conducted. Police sources stated that Tsoundasian locked himself inside the cabin, which prompted officers to break the front passenger window and the rear right window to gain access. In contrast, Tsoundasian published two video statements on TikTok showing the vehicle with shattered windows and denying all allegations against him. He claimed that the officers followed him in an unmarked vehicle without using sirens or flashing emergency lights. He stated that the officers put on gloves, exited their car, and smashed the windows with crowbars. Tsoundasian reported that broken glass caused injuries to him and the other passengers, adding that he feared for his life during the encounter.

Lawyer statement on anti-trafficking check

Defense attorney Othonas Papadopoulos, who arrived at the scene after being notified of the incident, released a statement detailing the perspective of Tsoundasian. Papadopoulos stated that the two officers from the Aliens Department suspected irregular foreign nationals were inside the automobile before using a specialized glass-breaking tool on the windows. The attorney stated that after clearing the vehicle, the officers acknowledged that an error had been made and offered an apology. According to Papadopoulos, the encounter escalated after Tsoundasian insisted on reporting the damage and traveling to a police station to file a formal complaint against the officers.

Reciprocal arrests and internal police inquiry

The confrontation concluded with reciprocal legal steps and an official investigation by law enforcement. Tsoundasian was arrested by police for failing to stop and for the collisions with parked vehicles along Lagkada Street. After Tsoundasian filed a lawsuit against the officers for damaging his vehicle, the two officers were also placed under arrest. The Hellenic Police subsequently ordered a formal internal sworn administrative inquiry (EDE) to examine the operational conduct and tactics used by the two officers during the pursuit and vehicle stop.