Death of Man in Teplicka nad Vahom Not Caused by Police Officer

Bratislava, 19 May (TASR) - In the widely publicised case of the death of a man in Teplicka nad Vahom (Zilina region) in November last year, it has been found that police officers did not act improperly and did not cause his death through the use of a taser, and an investigator from the Internal Affairs Inspectorate halted the investigation on 5 May, TASR learnt from UIS spokesperson Andrea Dobiasova on Monday. The spokeswoman added that when halting the criminal prosecution, the UIS investigator primarily referred to the conclusions of expert opinions in the field of health care and pharmacy, which indicated that the death was non-violent and caused by medical conditions. "No criminal offence was committed in connection with the official action taken, and no other violation of the law was found on the part of the police officers. The police officers acted in accordance with the principles of legality and proportionality," explained Dobiasova. The incident took place on 16 November 2024, when police from Zilina District Police Department were called to Teplicka nad Vahom after a local man had been reported as disturbing public order. The man attacked the officers, who then used holds, grips, blows, kicks, handcuffs and a non-lethal taser to restrain him. After a while, the man lost consciousness. The officers began resuscitation and called for emergency medical assistance. Despite the paramedics' efforts to revive him, the man died at the scene from cardiac arrest. lin/df