TV police officer charged with causing young woman's death – failed to record ambulance callout as completed
A 61-year-old police officer known from the Poliisit TV series is charged with manslaughter and breach of official duty. A young woman was found dead at home in April 2023.
Field commander recorded task as completed – woman found dead the next day
Google News FI — Crime (fi) reported on a case in which a 61-year-old police officer known from the Poliisit TV series is charged with causing the death of a young woman and breach of official duty. The alleged crimes occurred in April 2023 in Uusimaa.
According to Yle, the suspect was working as a field commander at the time. The emergency control centre notified him of a woman who needed an ambulance to a private residence. The field commander is accused of recording the task as completed even though police or an ambulance did not attend the scene. The woman was found dead at home the following day.
Chief prosecutor Jonna Ryynänen told Yle that she is seeking a short conditional prison sentence for the police officer. She declined to comment further on the contents of the charge or the account of events. The defendant's defence lawyer also did not comment on whether the police officer denies or admits the charges.
The matter will be heard in the East Uusimaa District Court in early September. The trial was delayed because the case was investigated further beyond the original schedule. The police officer has since retired and previously worked at the East Uusimaa Police Department.
Yle is reporting on the case because police have broad authority to exercise public power and their central duty is to ensure the safety of people. Police very rarely face charges on the grounds that they have caused another person's death while performing their official duties.
Earlier charges and convictions
According to Yle, the same police officer has previously faced charges in court twice, in connection with a total of five crimes.
Last year he was charged with stalking his ex-wife. According to the charge, the man sent abusive messages to his ex-wife and monitored the woman from outside her home in a police car. In one message he wrote that "murder would be cheaper than paying maintenance". In addition, he was charged with two counts of breach of official duty: according to the prosecutor, the man unlawfully accessed information about his ex-wife and her child from the police system.
The court dismissed the stalking charge, finding that the messages did not meet its legal criteria. The claim of surveillance from a police car was also not proven. The comment about murder was found to relate to court-ordered maintenance mediation, not stalking. However, the police officer was convicted of two counts of breach of official duty, namely unauthorised access to information.
In 2021, the police officer was charged with assault committed during official duties and breach of official duty. According to the prosecutor, he choked an arrested man in a manner that cannot be considered justifiable use of force. Both charges were dismissed: the evidence obtained by the court was contradictory, and the account given by the police officer's patrol partner supported the claim that choking did not occur.
The police officer was also suspected of assaulting a one-year-old child. According to witnesses, he would have disciplined the child by choking, hitting and shouting. In 2024, the prosecutor decided not to bring charges because the statute of limitations for suspected assault – five years – had expired. Nearly ten years had passed since the actions occurred.
Source: Google News FI — Crime (fi)