«Thought they were bandits, turned out to be police.» Participants of the shootout in Poland told their version, but questions remain

Alexander, one of the participants in the shootout. Screenshot from «Belarus 1»

State media continue to develop the story of a 60-year-old resident of Slonim who was wounded in Poland. On the air of the «Belarus 1» TV channel, the injured shared their memories of the events of the night of May 12.

Victims' Version: Attack without identification marks

According to the participants, they were returning from Germany in purchased used cars when tinted SUVs began to pursue them. The men claim that the cars had no identifying marks, and no light or sound signals were used. Thinking they were bandits, they decided to go to the police at the nearest parking lot, but there they were attacked by unknown individuals in civilian clothes.

Павялічыць

Ivan from Slonim, one of the participants in the shootout. Screenshot from «Belarus 1»

«A red or blue signal or a sound signal should have been present. None of that was there. I didn't believe it was the police until the very end,» says one of the drivers, Ivan. He was pulled out of the car through a broken window. «The first thought that comes to mind is that they want to rob you, steal from you, kill you,» he emphasizes.

Another participant, Oleg, adds that when he was pulled out of the car, he heard numerous shots ahead. «I raised my head and saw that the car that was behind me was now in front, and there were two pools of blood near it,» he says.

This was the blood of their 60-year-old friend Alexander, who, upon seeing the attack, tried to flee. His car, it is claimed, came under targeted fire — 29 holes were counted in the body, but all the wheels remained intact.

Павялічыць

One of the participants in the shootout. Screenshot from «Belarus 1»

The driver was wounded in the legs, ear, and cheek. According to their version, the police did not provide him with assistance before the ambulance arrived, and the Polish hospital poorly treated his wounds.

Polish Version: Operation against carjackers

This account differs fundamentally from the official information of the District Prosecutor's Office in Wroclaw. According to the Polish side, that night the police were conducting an operation to apprehend a group of car thieves. The Belarusians in a BMW were suspected of accompanying a stolen Citroen.

During an attempt to check, the Citroen driver fled, running over a police officer's leg. After that, the driver of the second BMW, 60-year-old Alexander, began performing dangerous maneuvers and «directed the car towards a police officer,» which led to the use of weapons. At the same time, Polish law enforcement officers claim that the Belarusian's injuries «were not life-threatening.»

Inconsistencies and Unanswered Questions

The new state TV report did not answer the main questions that caused a wave of mockery on social networks.

Let us recall that in the initial reports of the Investigative Committee, it was claimed that the Belarusian, despite his «very serious condition» and 29 bullet holes in the car, managed to drive more than 700 km across Poland and cross the border independently. This version caused a barrage of ridicule on social media.

Now the report bypasses this moment, only speaking of «acquaintances who helped him return home.» The car itself was most likely seized by Polish police as material evidence.

Also, the claim that all 29 bullets hit the body but did not affect the wheels seems very strange. As a rule, police shoot at the wheels to stop a vehicle. This detail received no explanation.

The versions of the parties regarding the severity of the injuries diverge diametrically. The Belarusian side insists on a «very serious condition» and a threat to life, drawing analogies with mine-blast injuries. The Polish side claims there was no threat to life.

The new state television report only added emotional details to the story but did not dispel doubts about Minsk's entire official version. Nevertheless, the Polish prosecutor's office is conducting two cases: one against the drivers for assaulting police officers, and the other concerning the law enforcement officers themselves for possible abuse of power.

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