Police Officer Acquittal Sought Nine Years After Fatal Chase

Before the correctional court of Walloon Brabant, the officer’s lawyers formally requested his acquittal this week. While a gathering denounced biased justice and a climate of impunity outside the courthouse, the defense insisted that their client had committed no wrongdoing. According to their argument, the tragedy that occurred on May 9, 2017 resulted exclusively from the young man’s driving choices. The public prosecutor had moreover anticipated this line of defense two weeks ago by requesting the acquittal of the only officer still being prosecuted.

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To support this thesis, the defendant’s lawyer detailed the brief pursuit marked by multiple traffic code violations. Traveling at 140 km/h under a tunnel on Avenue Louise, the rider had, according to expert analysis, 200 meters of visibility of the patrol car parked in the right lane. The defense argues that the motorcyclist had time to brake or move to the left lane, which was completely clear. The officer in question, according to La Dernière Heure, acted as "a normally prudent and diligent police officer" by signaling his position with his flashing light.

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The police officer’s counsel suggests that the victim potentially attempted a final maneuver to bypass the vehicle and take the exit ramp, before crashing into the VW Caddy. Facing this account, the civil parties replied by insisting on the absolute obligation to preserve the right to life, with law enforcement knowing full well that a passenger was on the motorcycle. Should the theory of no wrongdoing be dismissed, the defense alternatively requested either a simple guilty verdict or a suspended sentence given the age of the case.