Man Pushes Police Officer into a River: Details

In the course of a criminal investigation conducted by the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Armenia in the Vayots Dzor region, several circumstances surrounding the incident of assaulting a police officer and committing violence against him have been clarified, along with the identity of the alleged perpetrator, a resident of Vayots Dzor region born in 1983.

On October 22, 2024, at 19:58, a report was received from the "Vayots Dzor" medical center regarding a police officer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs being admitted due to a "closed injury to the area around the right knee joint" as a result of being assaulted by a citizen on Central Street in the village of Getap.

As a result of the measures taken, it was revealed that on the day in question, around 19:00, a 41-year-old resident of the Vayots Dzor region approached the patrol officers who were on duty on Central Street in Getap, in an intoxicated state, and began to engage in an inappropriate argument with them. The man, disregarding the patrol officers' requests not to exhibit illegal behavior, continued to act in the same manner, shouting insults.

The 41-year-old man approached one of the patrol officers, made offensive remarks towards him, and pulled him. Witnessing this, another patrol officer used tear gas against the man, after which approximately 10 citizens approached and obstructed the legal actions of the police.

During the scuffle, the 41-year-old man pushed one of the patrol officers, causing him to fall into the river and injure his foot against the concrete. Additionally, the actions of the 41-year-old man resulted in damage to the reflective jacket of another patrol officer and the disconnection button of the handheld radio.

Based on sufficient evidence gathered, the investigator submitted a petition to the supervising prosecutor to initiate public criminal proceedings against the 41-year-old man, which was approved. The man has been charged under Parts 1 and 3 of Article 452 and Part 1 of Article 297 of the RA Criminal Code.

A petition was submitted to the court for the application of detention as a measure of restraint against the accused; however, by the court's decision, a combined measure of house arrest and a prohibition on leaving was applied instead. The pre-trial investigation continues. Efforts are being made to identify other participants in the incident and provide a legal assessment of their actions.