Shooting officer speaks

[FerrariTifosi27]

Shooting officer speaks Monday 12 November, 2007

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The policeman who shot Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri has explained the circumstances leading to the tragic accident.

The police patrol arrived at a motorway service station near Arezzo in Tuscany after reports of a violent altercation between Lazio and Juventus fans.

It is believed that an officer known only as Luigi S at this stage fired a shot in the air to try and calm the dispute, but as he ran his gun fired again and hit Sandri in the back seat of his car.

“I didn’t aim at anyone,â€￾ the distraught policeman told Il Corriere della Sera. “I was at least 200 metres away, how could I have?

“I fired the first shot in the air and the second went off accidentally when I was running.â€￾

The Battifole-based 31-year-old broke a rule when he didn’t return his gun to its holster after firing his first shot.

“We are used to running after robbers and drug traffickers when we keep the gun in our hands,â€￾ he explained.

“Now I know what has happened I am falling to pieces. I have destroyed two families – the young lad’s and my own.â€￾

Luigi S’s colleagues have revealed that he was running alongside the guardrail to try and identify the car as it was leaving the service station.

Violence between rival sets of Ultras is a sad fact of life in the peninsula and 15 days prior to yesterday’s tragedy Salernitana fans destroyed a rest area in nearby Montepulciano.

[Fred Goldstone]

The only peo[ple responsible for this unfortunate event are the leaders and participants in the violence.

The police should round up all the leaders of these cowardly thugs and put them away for life.

[King Ledley]

ye true

[Thryle 7]

i don't understand how people can say it is the fans fault
alright they were fighting but police are supposedly taught how to handle those situations what was a cop doing using his gun anyway?
a cop gets killed it's the fans fault, a fan gets killed its still the fans fault
even though on both occasions the ammunition in use of the killings came from polices weapons!!

[diegom]

To me it feels like it as an accident???
I hope so neways!

[redmum]

i don't understand how people can say it is the fans fault
alright they were fighting but police are supposedly taught how to handle those situations what was a cop doing using his gun anyway?
a cop gets killed it's the fans fault, a fan gets killed its still the fans fault
even though on both occasions the ammunition in use of the killings came from polices weapons!!

i dont think anyone has said it was the fan's fault.
all that has come out of this is that a tragic accident occured which resulted in a loss of life and ruined many others. pointing the blame will not achieve anything except idiots trying to seek revenge...which will simply result in more deaths..and more revenge...and so the stupid, twisted, sad circle goes on.

[Thryle 7]

i don't understand how people can say it is the fans fault
alright they were fighting but police are supposedly taught how to handle those situations what was a cop doing using his gun anyway?
a cop gets killed it's the fans fault, a fan gets killed its still the fans fault
even though on both occasions the ammunition in use of the killings came from polices weapons!!

i dont think anyone has said it was the fan's fault.
all that has come out of this is that a tragic accident occured which resulted in a loss of life and ruined many others. pointing the blame will not achieve anything except idiots trying to seek revenge...which will simply result in more deaths..and more revenge...and so the stupid, twisted, sad circle goes on.

read fred goldstones post

"The only peo[ple responsible for this unfortunate event are the leaders and participants in the violence.

The police should round up all the leaders of these cowardly thugs and put them away for life."

some people are

[Piola]

i don't understand how people can say it is the fans fault
alright they were fighting but police are supposedly taught how to handle those situations what was a cop doing using his gun anyway?
a cop gets killed it's the fans fault, a fan gets killed its still the fans fault
even though on both occasions the ammunition in use of the killings came from polices weapons!!

i dont think anyone has said it was the fan's fault.
all that has come out of this is that a tragic accident occured which resulted in a loss of life and ruined many others. pointing the blame will not achieve anything except idiots trying to seek revenge...which will simply result in more deaths..and more revenge...and so the stupid, twisted, sad circle goes on.

read fred goldstones post

"The only peo[ple responsible for this unfortunate event are the leaders and participants in the violence.

The police should round up all the leaders of these cowardly thugs and put them away for life."

some people are

i wouldnt read too much into what he said

this is the same guy who said di Canio was shit cause he gave a roman salute.

[Translator]

Get fuckeddddd..... stop defending the fans, if they didn't fight none of this would of happened in the first place. Only un-educated people fight over soccer matches...people who are a few cents short of a dollar. They should be banned for life from attending matches. The fans are destroying the italian game, and italy will never see a euro or world cup held there again if this nonsense continues to occur.

Another exaggerated comment.

Firstly fans were rioting (Italian for protesting) over police action that killed a fan, the police officer involved is up for manslaughter.

No confirmation has come out over what started the original fight, the original fight had nothing to do with any organised supporter group.

It's no different to cops firing shots to break up fights that happen in the city on a regular basis and accidentally killing an innocent by stander.

I don't recall any incidents of Italian fans running havoc when the play in Europe since 84. The way the supporter groups are being portrayed is over the top and nothing compared to England in the 80's.

The police officer that died in the Catania incident was the first death in Italian football since a Genoa fan died in 95.

Not saying the fans are angels and are being victimised but the way they are being painted as outright thugs and hooligans is over the top.

[CroCop]

i don't understand how people can say it is the fans fault
alright they were fighting but police are supposedly taught how to handle those situations what was a cop doing using his gun anyway?
a cop gets killed it's the fans fault, a fan gets killed its still the fans fault
even though on both occasions the ammunition in use of the killings came from polices weapons!!

Get fuckeddddd..... stop defending the fans, if they didn't fight none of this would of happened in the first place. Only un-educated people fight over soccer matches...people who are a few cents short of a dollar. They should be banned for life from attending matches. The fans are destroying the italian game, and italy will never see a euro or world cup held there again if this nonsense continues to occur.

Only the un-educated think these guys are just normal and wake up and want to fight for the sake of it.

It's a different world over there, a different culture, they have their own social problems and this is the root of the problem. If they didn't fight over Football they'd find something else to fight about.

Understanding where these people come from and how they think is the first step to stopping the violence. The Ultras are different to the English Hooligans, they live and breathe Football "support" and they will fight to protect their way of life. Just grabbing leaders and throwing them away will only inflame the situation.