Brussels Police Officers on Trial for Fatal 2017 Chase That Killed Two Young People

Prosecuted for involuntary manslaughter following a fatal chase, three police officers are being tried on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Brussels police court, reports Belga. The events date back to May 9, 2017. Around 9:30 p.m., a police patrol had chased Ouassim Toumi, 24, and Sabrina El Bakkali, 20, who were on a scooter, at the level of the Poelaert square in Brussels. They had noticed that the motorcyclist was driving recklessly. Two other patrols had also joined the chase of the motorcyclist. The motorcycle collided with the rear left of a patrol vehicle from the local police brigade of Brussels-Capital-Ixelles. Toumi died on the spot. His passenger, El Bakkali, died later that night at the hospital.

The victims’ families condemned this chase initiated for two alleged violations of the Highway Code. According to them, it was illegal, unnecessary and disproportionate. While their lawyer had requested that the police officers accused of having killed the two young people be referred to the criminal court, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office had requested a dismissal for them, arguing that the only person responsible for the death of Ouassim and Sabrina is the driver of the scooter.