Prosecutor Addresses Police Officer Altercation in Nikšić
During a workplace assignment, colleagues had a dispute (illustration). Photo: BORIS PEJOVIC
The Basic State Prosecutor’s Office (ODT) in Nikšić has initiated a case to determine if there are grounds for prosecuting Police Directorate officers involved in a verbal and nearly physical altercation last Thursday during a security operation on the Grahovo road.
Prosecutor Vjera Mićunović of the Nikšić Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to “Vijesti” that an investigation has been launched regarding this incident.
“A case has been opened, and necessary information is being gathered to make an informed decision,” Mićunović stated.
By directive from Lazar Šćepanović, Acting Director of the Police Directorate, an Internal Control inquiry has also commenced within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Internal Control Department and the Ethics Board will assess whether there are grounds to initiate proceedings due to inappropriate or unauthorized conduct by two police officers from Podgorica and Nikšić during the verbal incident that took place on April 10 this year on the main road to Grahovo.
Due to several significant events on that day, members of the Intervention Platoon from Podgorica were deployed to assist in Nikšić. However, while securing the route for the escort accompanying the President of the Parliament, Andrije Mandić, an unusual confrontation arose between officers from two regional units.
Reports suggest that the Podgorica Intervention Platoon attempted to halt the escort, which the Nikšić officers were following, but they were not able to intervene.
Upon returning from their assignment escorting Mandić’s convoy to Herceg Novi, the Podgorica platoon again attempted to stop them on the main road, but the Nikšić officers continued forward without stopping.
Multiple sources have informed “Vijesti” that subsequent to this, Podgorica officers pursued their Nikšić counterparts and blocked their path using an official vehicle, leading to a verbal exchange and near physical confrontation.
It’s reported that a Podgorica officer, Marko Stojanovic, exhibited particularly aggressive behavior, allegedly attempting to strike his Nikšić counterpart, Radovan Lalić, after their verbal dispute on the road.
The disagreement reportedly continued outside the Nikšić Police Station, where officers from both cities clashed again. Witnesses described inappropriate scenes occurring in the office of the head of the RCB “Zapad”.
The Police Directorate maintains that no further incident occurred within the Nikšić police building and that following verbal statements in the chief’s office, all officers resumed their regular duties in their respective regional centers.
During the internal review, it will be particularly noted whether superiors failed to act by not immediately suspending the involved officers after the conflict was reported, allowing them instead to return to Podgorica in an official vehicle and continue their work.
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