Police shot motorcyclist who didn’t obey ‘stop’ warning, people protest

* Photo: Twitter

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The police opened fire on two motorcyclists who did not obey their 'stop' warning in Kelkit district in Gümüşhane on July 19. Traveling at the back of the motorcycle, Serkan G. (30) was wounded in his neck.

Severely wounded, Serkan G. was first taken to the Erzincan Mengücek Gazi Training and Research Hospital, then referred to the capital city of Ankara in an ambulance aircraft. While Serkan G. was reportedly still in a critical condition, motorcycle's driver Murat G. was detained.

After the news spread in the district, the families of the ones involved in the incident and the people gathered in front of the Kelkit District Security Directorate and protested the incident. Demanding that the police officers who used firearms be suspended from duty and put on trial, the people of Kelkit chanted the slogans of "We don't want murderous police officers." Strifes occurred between the police and citizens at times during the protests.

Gümüşhane'nin Kelkit ilçesinde dur ihtarına uymayan bir gencin polis tarafından vurulması üzerine toplanan kalabalık Emniyet Müdürlüğü binasını basmaya çalıştı pic.twitter.com/dKJpUZXa4P

— Politic Türk (@politicturk) July 22, 2021

Amid people's ongoing protests, Kelkit Sub-Governor Aziz Onur Aydın came to the area and tried to calm the group. Sub-Governor Aydın said that the judicial and administrative investigation is still ongoing and that it is still being investigated whether it is the fault of the officers on duty. Aydın also informed the group that Serkan G. is no longer in a life-threatening condition. (HA/SD)