Roma teen shot dead by Greek police in altercation

Around midnight on Saturday, 11 November, Greek police shot a 17-year-old Romani boy after a car chase in the town of Thebes, north of Attica.

According to media reports, the car, with four passengers, two boys and two girls aged 15-17, failed to stop when ordered. In the ensuing pursuit, the car was surrounded by police in a dead-end alley in the Liontari village.

Witnesses said a gun shot was heard, fatally wounding the 17-year-old. The police claim that one of the underage passengers tried to snatch the policeman’s gun which ‘went off’ killing the boy.

The victim’s brother claimed that it was the policeman who fired the gun. 

In a statement, the Minister for Citizen’s protection Giannis Oikonomou expressed condolences to the family of the young victim and stressed that “the circumstances under which the sad incident took place are under investigation by the competent authorities.” An autopsy will take place to determine the exact cause of death.