Another young man dies in police custody

 

VNRN – June 10, 2014 

A suspect held in police custody had to be brought to the emergency room and died shortly after, while the police has been providing changing explanations for the death, local media reported today.

Ly Vi Hung (Lý Vị Hùng), 29, died in March but his case has only come to light now.

Hung had been arrested on Feb 9 in Ho Chi Minh City on suspicion of theft and was held at District 11 police station. On Mar 20, the investigator on the case called his wife and told her Hung had been taken to the emergency room at a local hospital. The next night, Hung died.

When the family asked why Hung died, the investigator said Hung fell while bathing.

His family then filed a complaint seeking an investigation into Hung’s death. A couple weeks later, the district police responded, again confirming that Hung died by falling.

The family, however, told the press that Hung’s body was heavily bruised and there was a wound on the back of his head where the skull was even visible.

A reporter called a commanding officer of the district police, and was told a totally different story, when police Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thuy now said Hung had been beaten by other detainees.

Col. Thuy claimed two people were fighting over food and a fight broke out. He declined to provide further details as the case is being investigated by police higher-ups.

 

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