A young man armed himself approached a patrol of plainclothes officers in via Impastato. According to the police, he pointed the weapon at the officers. Salvini: «On the side of the policeman»
A 20-year-old young man died in Milan after being shot by a patrol of plainclothes police officers. The episode occurred shortly before 6pm in via Giuseppe Impastato, in the Rogoredo district, an area that has long been affected by control operations and the fight against drug dealing.
According to an initial reconstruction provided by the police, the twenty-year-old approached a patrol of agents carrying out checks in the area. Upon seeing the officers, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at them. At that point the policemen reacted by opening fire.
The 20-year-old killed and the first investigations on the weapon
The young man, described as North African and currently not yet officially identified, was hit in the upper part of the body. The 118 rescuers, who quickly arrived on site, were unable to do anything but confirm his death.
From the first checks carried out by the investigators, the weapon held by the twenty-year-old appeared to be a blank replica. An element which however does not change, according to what transpires from investigative circles, the perception of immediate danger by the agents at the time of the intervention.
The rescue and the intervention of the scientific police
The coroner, the Flying Squad officers and the forensic police specialists intervened at the scene of the shooting for technical investigations. The area was cordoned off to allow ballistic tests and a detailed reconstruction of the dynamics.
The investigations now aim to clarify precisely the sequence of events, the young man’s movements and the operating conditions in which the officers found themselves at the time of the intervention.
Rogoredo and the “grove”: an area under constant observation
The Rogoredo district has for years represented one of the most complex urban contexts in Milan in terms of safety. In particular, the area of the so-called “boschetto” has long been a central hub for drug dealing, attracting consumers from all over the city and its hinterland. Despite the numerous reclamation interventions and clearance operations carried out over time, the area remains characterized by strong criminal pressure and a constant presence of the police.
Via Impastato and the surrounding streets fall within this perimeter of increased attention, with frequent patrols, plainclothes services and targeted checks. It is in this operational context, marked by high tension and potentially unpredictable situations, that today’s episode takes place. A context in which the police forces act daily in conditions of high risk, called upon to make rapid assessments in scenarios that can change in a few moments.
The political reactions: Salvini and Piantedosi
The twenty-year-old’s death immediately triggered reactions on a political level. The deputy prime minister and leader of the League, Matteo Salvini, expressed a clear position: «I am on the side of the policeman, without ifs or buts», reiterating that the young man «had pulled out a gun and for this reason he was shot by an officer».
The comment of the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, was more cautious, inviting us to wait for the official checks. «The first news obviously suffers from a margin of approximation. I have no reason to presume on the legitimacy or proportionality of the intervention made, but we do not give immunity shields to anyone,” he declared.
Investigations into the legitimacy of the intervention
Piantedosi underlined that “the competent authorities will examine the case” and asked to avoid “presumptions of guilt”, ensuring that “there will be no immunity shields” for anyone. «We will calmly return to the evaluation of what the events will have been, once again in a very complicated context», he concluded.
The investigation will now have to establish whether the use of weapons by the officers occurred in compliance with the procedures and conditions established by law. Meanwhile, the episode brings the topic of urban security and the operational tensions that characterize some sensitive areas of large Italian cities back to the center of the debate.
