A Warsaw prosecutor has charged officer Dawid B. with using tear gas against MP Barbara Nowacka during a protest on 28 November 2020.
Indictment filed against officer
Prosecutor in Warsaw has filed charges against Dawid B., a policeman sent from Katowice’s Prevention Division to guard a protest on 28 November 2020.
Details of the incident
During the protest titled “In the Name of Mother, Daughter and Sister,” held in Warsaw to protest the Constitutional Tribunal’s abortion ruling and to mark the 102nd anniversary of women’s voting rights, the officer exceeded his authority as he approached MP Barbara Nowacka, a minister of education.
Investigators say he used tear gas twice, aiming it at the MP’s face from a distance of less than half a metre. The prosecutor described the act as contrary to police tactics, proportionality, necessity and the law on coercive measures and firearms, and as a violation of the MP’s rights.
Officer’s apology
Dawid B. has not admitted guilt but stated a deep regret for the situation and apologized to Barbara Nowacka. He added nothing further in his statement.
Possible penalties
He is a non‑convicted police officer, and the prosecution warns that a conviction could carry up to ten years’ imprisonment.
Additional information
More details appear in an article titled “Use of tear gas against Nowacka. MP’s statement. ‘Police aggressively escalated operations’.”