More than 100 employees of traffic police and Berkut special police detachment scuffled in “Detsa U Notarya” Uzhhorod restaurant.
On February 6, 2008, a group of 20 Berkut employees gave a banquet in “Detsa U Notarya” restaurant. At the same time, a group of Zakarpattya traffic police employees gave a send-off to their Kirovohrad colleagues in the same restaurant.
After some period of time, the law-enforcement agencies employees scuffled. Fortunately for restaurant visitors, the law enforcement officers went to sort out their relationships outdoors.
At the same time, traffic police employees called for help, and additional policemen of their department promptly arrived to the scene. In their turn, the Berkut employees called their duty detail, as well as other Berkut employees, who immediately joined the scuffle.
That time, citizen of Ukraine L., who has a permanent residence in Prague, and also took part in the banquet, decided to help the Berkut. He called his people, and strangers with baseball bats arrived, and began to beat the policemen.
Later, employees of Sokol police department arrived and promptly drove the crowd away.
A policemen seriously suffered as a result of the scuffle, that is why the law-enforcement bodies decided to hang the case on citizen L. and those strangers with bats. Citizen`s L. Toyota Landcruiser jeep is been held at the territory of restaurant for over a week already. It is guarded by three details of different police forces: two Berkut employees, two traffic police employees, and two policemen.
Uzhhorod Mayor Serhiy Ratushnyak claimed to a press conference today that this event has no analogues in the modern Ukrainian history.
“Now the city is waiting for the response from the Interior Minister, because, instead of being busy with guaranteeing the public order, the police appears to be involved in showdowns, and namely public must be defended from them. The police threatens the public safety, and it is a challenge for the Interior Minister”, Ratushnyak stressed.
S.Ratushnyak said in an interview to an UNIAN correspondent that the events in Zakarpattya was a challenge to democratic values and the constitutional order.
