According to the investigators, examining the circumstances of Yauhen Patapovich’s death, he killed himself with a shot in the head. Several days ago, the body of the 22-year-old policeman was found in a wooded area near Mahiliou.
“The main version at the moment is suicide. I mean the suicide of the employee. The investigation has established the circumstances and all the actions of Patapovich on the day of death, up to 18:00 hours,” Yauhen Arhireyeu, chairman of the Criminal Investigation Division of the IC of Belarus, said.
The personal correspondence of Patapovich allegedly showed that he had long had suicidal intentions. The CCTV cameras shows that on the day of the tragedy the Lieutenant bought in the store firewood and burning liquid, which were subsequently found near the body. To commit suicide, the lieutenant was to use a passing car to get to the railway crossing near the Pershamayskaya street. From there he was to get into the forest.
Aleh Volchak, former investigator, human rights activist:
“If a person is going to commit suicide, they would not send such unclear messages, they simply commit it. Or they write a note: I am leave this life. That’s it, nothing else.”
Patapovich did send a message about being captured by Roma to colleagues. He did it to stage the whole thing, the Investigative Committee said. The version with kidnapping soon ceased to be a priority. The CCTV cameras have not confirmed that the police officer got into a black “Volga”. Meanwhile, for several days police kept in the temporary detention and interrogated the local Roma. Some were then charged with disorderly conduct. But noone received a protocol on administrative offense as a result.
Mahiliou residents witnessed the brutal detention of the local Roma population.
The locals also do not believe in the policeman’s suicide. In fact there are still many questions remaining. Could he shoot himself with both hands clasped with handcuffs? Why did the traffic police inspector have to undress from the waist down before committing suicide?
“Of course, I do not believe it, this couldn’t have happened. The man was shot, and that’s obvious. ”
“He could not have committed suicide. He was a young guy. He had a whole life ahead of him being only 22 years old. “
“Somehow it does not look like a suicide. I believe that most likely it was a murder. But there will most likely be no perpetrators found,” explain residents of Mahiliou.
According to a former investigator Volchak, the murder, most probably, was prepared by a group of criminals who are now hard to find. In addition, the family of the self-murderer does not get insurance and wages, which for the next ten years are received by relatives of the person who dies in the line of duty.
