Rome prosecutors have opened a probe
into the case of Matteo Falcinelli, a 25-year-old from Spoleto
who was hogtied by Miami police for 13 minutes after being
arrested outside a nightclub in the Florida city in February,
sources said on Friday.
The investigation was opened on the basis of report from the
Italian consulate in Miami, the sources said.
Francesco Maresca, the lawyer of the young student's family,
said Falcinelli would file a criminal complaint when he returns
to Italy in the next few days after a meeting with prosecutors
on Friday.
Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is among
those to have condemned the violence Falcinelli was subjected
to, saying he was "deeply shocked" by it.
Police Bodycam videos show the 25-year-old being slammed to the
ground outside a night club and then tied up, with his ankles
bound and his hands behind his back, at a police station.
During the videos Falcinelli can be heard to say "I'm not
resisting", "please", "I'm not doing anything" and, at one
point, screaming in pain.
The family have only recently gone public with what happened
after an agreement in which Falcinelli agreed to go on a
re-educational program in order to avoid jail time.
He said he initially offered to pay bail but that was
interpreted as an attempted bribe.
Speaking about the case this week, a US State Department
spokesperson told ANSA that "we acknowledge the concerns raised
by the Italian government and the Falcinelli family about the
circumstances of Matteo's arrest in Miami".
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