Czech Police perform reconstruction of shooting incident in Tanvald

This evening police have performed a reconstruction of the shooting incident in Tanvald which caused the death of a Romani youth and injured his brother during the first few minutes of 2012. The surviving victim was not present.

The only journalists on the scene were from the country’s most-watched private station, TV Nova. According to footage they have now broadcast, the shooter was at the scene and police reconstructed his version of events.

News server iDNES.cz reports that neither the police nor the state prosecutor want to comment on how the reconstruction went. “The Regional State Prosecutor is the only one who can inform the public about this case,” police spokesperson Ivana Baláková told iDNES.cz. Lenka Bradáčová, a representative of the Ústí Regional State Prosecutor’s Office who has been commenting on the case from the beginning, also did not want to reveal anything. “I can confirm to you that the reconstruction was completed just a moment ago, but I won’t tell you anything else,” she said just after 8 PM.

A 63-year-old man from Tanvald shot at the Romani youths shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, killing one of them. The surviving victim has already testified to police. As Bradáčová previously stated, investigators are reviewing all possible variations of what might have occurred, from murder to necessary self-defense. Detectives were expecting forward movement in the case after the reconstruction at the scene of the crime. “I cannot rule out charges on either side, nor can I rule out the possibility that charges might be filed on both sides,” Bradáčová said earlier. She has definitely ruled out racial motivation.

News server Romea.cz has learned that the surviving gunshot victim did not participate in today’s reconstruction and his family knew nothing about it. They were informed it would take place this coming Friday. It is therefore a question whether another reconstruction will take place to verify the version of events as described by the surviving Romani youth.

Footage of the reconstruction broadcast by TV Nova, whose reporters allegedly visited the scene after being tipped off by locals, makes it obvious that the shooter was there wearing a hood. Police specialists reconstructed his version of the entire event. TV Nova has previously broadcast a computer graphic of his version of events, which shows the youths pushing the man to the ground and him shooting at them while lying on his back.