News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

Shooting at the Bondy shopping center: Testimony of the Romani victim

22 October 2012
3 minute read

On the afternoon of Tuesday 2 March 2010, an incident occurred at the Bondy shopping center in Mladá Boleslav during which a security guard injured a young Romani man by firing a gas pistol at him. Media reports originally described the situation only from the guard’s point of view, a version that described the Romani people involved as assailants. These people have now turned for assistance to the Jekhetani Luma civic association, which is presenting a completely different version of the entire incident.

“There were witnesses present for the entire incident and, as far as I know, the Czech Police have not yet deposed them. The security guard who fired the gun at me has thrown me and my friends out of the Bondy shopping center in the past many times, even though we have never done anything wrong there,” the victim said in a statement sent to the news server Romea.cz by Martina Brzobohatá, director of Jekhetani Luma.

“On Tuesday 2 March 2010, just after 15:00, security wanted to once again remove us from the premises for no reason, and we argued with that particular guard. I am certain none of us ever touched him. I hope the incident was caught on film by the cameras there. During the argument, which continued outside in front of the entrance, the guard suddenly shot his gas pistol at me and hit me in the head. A friend of mine called an ambulance,” said the victim of his horrifying experience.

“I was also attacked by the head of security when he came outside. Two municipal police officers were standing a little way off and did not intervene. They only called the state police after one witness asked them to. A friend later told me that when the head of security punched me, he also said something like ‘You fucking Gypsies!’ For some time after being shot I was almost entirely blinded. During the night my face swelled up, I had a fever, and my head hurt for three days. Since then I have run into the person who shot at me more than once, and he has apologized at least three times. Everything that has happened has been a horrible experience for me, and I believe both the security guard and the head of security reacted excessively,” the victim said.

Jekhetani Luma’s statement includes that of Matyáš Procházka, the manager of the center, which was quoted earlier by the media: “On 2 March 2010 at around 15:30, security guards at the Bondy Center handled a case involving a small group of young Romani citizens, who for reasons unknown were heading toward the underground garage of the shopping center. In accordance with his obligations, a guard asked the persons concerned to leave the garage and was verbally attacked by them. When the guard insisted the group leave the garage space, the persons escalated their vulgarities and threatened him with physical liquidation. Given that the guard was facing a physical attack, he called a colleague for help, and together they succeeded in removing the troublemakers from the premises. Outside the building the guard was verbally assaulted once again and then physically assaulted. In that situation he employed a means of defense to prevent the attackers from continuing their assaults. During the altercation, an onlooker called a Mladá Boleslav Municipal Police patrol to the scene and then the Czech Police, who took over the case. After being interviewed by them, the guard was released and returned to work.”

The Czech Police are now handling the case. “The patrol ascertained at the scene that the security guard had used his gas pistol against someone who had allegedly assaulted him. The person, who had traces of the shot fired from the gas pistol above his right eye, was transported by rapid ambulance service to an emergency room for treatment,” said Mladá Boleslav Municipal Police spokesperson Ondřej Kubala, according to news server Deník.cz.

Help us share the news about Romas
Trending now icon