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The case of Mike Ben Peter caused an uproar in Switzerland.
In the case of the drug dealer Mike († 40), who died during an arrest, six Lausanne police officers have to answer to the Vaud judiciary in June. Prosecutors have filed charges against the officers for involuntary manslaughter.
The Attorney General of Vaud, Eric Kaltenrieder, confirmed a report from the newspaper “24 heures” on Friday. The Nigerian died of cardiac arrest in 2018 during a police action against drug trafficking. Mike defied the police officers. He was overpowered, handcuffed and then collapsed.
He died the next day after being treated at the scene and then taken to the Chuv University Hospital in Lausanne. Police said they found pellets of cocaine next to his face and in his mouth after he collapsed.
Overdose could be ruled out
An autopsy revealed that he had suffered cardiac arrest, so an overdose has been ruled out. The autopsy also revealed that the Nigerian had no cocaine in his blood.
According to the lawyer for one of the six police officers, the accused will plead for acquittal. “Two forensic reports have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to prove that the police action was the cause of the death,” defense attorney Odile Pelet told the Keystone-SDA news agency on request.
The case had caused a stir in French-speaking Switzerland and caused consternation. Several demonstrations took place in the streets of Lausanne. Activists called for justice for Mike and denounced racism and police brutality.