Police violence killed Mitch Henriquez, Dutch government admits

This 29 June 2015 video from The Hague, the Netherlands shows torches, sirens and motor bikes at a demonstration protesting against the death of Aruban Mitch Henriquez.

When Mitch Henriquez died after The Hague police arrested him, the Dutch public prosecution service said that was because Mr Henriquez had become ill during transport in a police car to a police station.

However, a video, recorded on that fatal day 27 June 2015, shows that Mr Henriquez was already not moving any more before being dragged into the police car.

Today, the Dutch government’s public prosecution service have implicitly admitted that they had lied about Mitch Henriquez’s death.

Translated from NOS TV:

Aruban detainee was killed by police violence

Today, 12:28

It is likely that the Aruban prisoner Mitch Henriquez died from lack of oxygen, which was probably caused by the police action last Sunday in the The Hague Zuiderpark.

“For that lack of oxygen no other explanations have been found,” said Kitty Nooy, chief officer of the public prosecution service during a press conference in The Hague. “Also, no natural causes for death have been found.” Additionally, Henriquez had not used drugs or too much alcohol.

Nooy gave an explanation of the preliminary results of the National Police investigation into the death of the prisoner. Nooy spoke of “severe findings”.

Suspended

The five officers who were involved in the arrest have been suspended, said the head of the police in The Hague, Paul van Musscher. They are officially suspected of involvement in the death of Henriquez.

This news has a strong impact on the police, says Van Musscher.