Naples – An evening of violence and panic unfolded yesterday on Corso Garibaldi. A 37-year-old man of Moroccan origin and an illegal immigrant was arrested by the State Police after committing a daring robbery and violently attacking officers.
The "split" with the scooter
It all started when the man decided to rob a local business. Using an electric scooter as a battering ram, the 37-year-old smashed the shop window.
Once inside, he went straight for the loot: two pistols and a pack of cartridges. The sequence of events behind the break-in was later confirmed and reconstructed by investigators using footage from the area's video surveillance systems.
The armed face-to-face with the agents
The escape, however, was short-lived. During a routine patrol, a patrol car from the Decumani Police Station spotted the man on the street. The scene before the officers was alarming: the 37-year-old, gun in hand, was loading the weapon with the recently stolen cartridges.
Upon seeing the uniforms, the man didn't give up. Instead, he began cursing the officers, even attempting to pull out the second gun he was carrying. The officers intervened swiftly. A violent struggle ensued, which ended with the criminal being subdued only thanks to the intervention of a second patrol from the Campania Crime Prevention Unit, which arrived to assist.
The fury in the patrol car and the accusations
Only at this point were the officers able to ascertain that the two stolen weapons, although identical to the real ones, were actually blank-firing pistols. The man's fury, however, wasn't quelled by the handcuffs. Once he was loaded into the squad car to be taken to the police station, he continued to kick the windows and the rear partition, severely damaging the patrol car.
The 37-year-old, already known to law enforcement for similar crimes, will now face a long list of charges: aggravated theft, damage to public property, aggravated threats, and resisting arrest and assaulting a public official.
This is news that causes panic and fear, but I don't understand how it happens so easily. The police have done their job, but there's a lack of prevention and ongoing checks, and the police remain unsafe. Let's hope the justice system does its job and there's more security right away.