Young Roma boy shot in the head by police officer dies in ICU police on alert

A Roma teenager who was shot in the head by Greek police as he fled a petrol station last week, allegedly without paying, has died.

The 16-year-old was left in critical condition after officers opened fire following a short chase in Greece's second-biggest city of Thessaloniki.

Doctors at the Hippocrates hospital said the boy died on Tuesday at 10:10 local time (08:10 GMT).

The officer involved has been arrested and placed under investigation.

The boy had been battling for his life in the hospital's ICU unit for the last eight days. According to the hospital's announcement, "the 16-year-old was brought to Ippokratio hospital in an ambulance on 5 December at 02:02 in a coma.

He was rushed to surgery and the hospital's ICU in critical condition and received the best possible mechanical and pharmaceutical support.

He died despite the tireless efforts of the medical and nursing staff. We express our sincere condolences to his family and his friends".

The Greek Police were put on general alert after the death of the 16-year-old Roma boy.