Police Killing Of Soccer Fan Sparks Riots
Italian authorities detained four people Monday accused of taking part in riots triggered by the accidental killing of a soccer fan by a policeman, the latest episode of soccer-related unrest in the country.
News reports Monday also said that a police officer is under investigation for possible manslaughter in the shooting death.
Four people were detained for taking part in Sunday's violence in Rome, where angry fans attacked a police barracks near the stadium and the building hosting the Italian Olympic Committee.
Sports authorities met in Rome to decide on possible measures in the latest episode of unrest related to soccer. Last season, a policeman was killed in riots following a game between in Sicily. The killing prompted authorities to stiffen security measures in and around soccer stadiums, such as barring some fans from traveling to games.
The latest unrest was sparked by the death of Gabriele Sandri, a 26-year-old disc jockey from Rome, who died after getting hit in the neck by a bullet while sitting in a car.
The ANSA news agency, citing police, said the policeman who fired the shot was put under investigation for possible manslaughter by magistrates in Arezzo, a Tuscan town about 125 miles north of Rome where the killing occurred.
Police intervened to stop a scuffle between groups of Lazio fans - headed to see their club play at Inter Milan - and a group of Juventus fans. They intervened from the opposite side of the highway.
According to a police statement Sunday, an officer fired two warning shots in the air. But the unidentified officer told Corriere della Sera Monday that the second shot went off accidentally.
Sandri's death forced the suspension of three Serie A matches as clashes erupted in Rome, Milan and other cities.
Enraged by the shooting, rioters smashed windows, hurled stones at police cars and set trash bins and police vans on fire.
In the Italian capital, violent fans rioted into the night, attacking police barracks near the Stadio Olimpico and raiding the nearby Italian Olympic Committee headquarters. By morning, four people were picked up in Rome, police said.Photo Essay: Police Killing Sparks Soccer Riots
About 40 police officers were injured, ANSA reported. The Italian Olympic Committee estimated the damages to its headquarters at about $147,000.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said he was "very worried" by Sandri's "tragic death" and the "grave violence" that followed. The exact circumstances surrounding it remain unclear. But police chief Antonio Manganelli promised to shed light on the event.
"We'll uncover the truth," he said Monday.
Italy is no stranger to soccer-related violence. Last season, a policeman was killed in riots following a game between Palermo and Catania in Sicily. Under new anti-violence measures this season, some fans have been barred from traveling to games.
ANSA said an autopsy on Sandri's body was scheduled to be carried out later Monday in Arezzo, about 125 miles north of Rome, where Sandri was shot.
An earlier police statement said the officer had fired both shots in the air.
News of the death spread as fans gathered at stadiums for Sunday's games. Inter-Lazio, Atalanta-AC Milan and Roma-Cagliari all were suspended, with the remaining matches being delayed by 10 minutes.
In Bergamo where Atalanta hosted Milan, the match was suspended after 7 minutes when Atalanta fans tried to break through a barrier and storm their way onto the field.
Soccer Federation President Giancarlo Abete refused to speculate what moves may be made.
"Miraculous solutions don't exist," Abete said, speaking to RAI state radio.
"There is sadness and bitterness, but soccer remains to me something that can offer joy and renew hope, like we saw in Berlin in July 2006," he said, referring to Italy's World Cup victory. "I can't even contemplate a world of soccer within 10-15 years made up only of people who (watch games) on TV. I don't even want to think about it."