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Italy: Policeman "accidentally" shoots dealer

01 March 2001

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On 16 February an anti-drugs operation conducted by the carabinieri (paramilitary police) in Milano Marittima, a seaside resort on Italy's eastern Adriatic coast, ended with the shooting of a youth and the arrest of his girlfriend. After leaving a restaurant, the two noticed a carabinieri vehicle and headed down an alley where the woman disposed of five grams of cocaine by dropping it. Antonello Soligo, a 27-year-old who had already been charged in December for dealing cocaine (five grams), was shot in the back of the head by carabinieri officer Franco Lauriola although the unarmed couple made no attempt to escape arrest. Lauriola, who is being investigated for murder, claims that he shouted, telling the couple to stop, and got out of the car in pursuit. When they did not try to run away he slowed down, and claims that this is when he slipped and mistakenly shot Soligo with his Beretta gun from around ten metres. After the shooting, he handed the gun to his colleagues, allegedly saying “My God what have I done!”. Soligo's girlfriend denies hearing any warning. She said she heard a car door slam, turned around, saw two men following them “one of whom had a gun, raised it” and shot her partner. She is now facing charges for dealing cocaine.

Il Manifesto, 18.2.01; Repubblica, 18.2.01.

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