Russian Drivers Used As 'Human Shields' By Police

Moscow's police chief has been forced to apologize after allegations that motorists were ordered to move their vehicles into the path of a speeding getaway car, putting their vehicles, not to mention their lives, at extreme risk.

Moscow police chief Vladimir Kolokoltsev's spokesman told Russian news agencies he had given a "stern reprimand" to traffic police chief Sergei Kazantsev, as well as apologizing to drivers whose cars were damaged. The car owners have also been given a certificate for their "heroic actions."

The incident occurred last Friday when several drivers were ordered by police to use their cars to block a major Moscow motorway. An Audi driven by suspected robbers smashed through the blockade at a high speed, leaving several cars were damaged, although no one was hurt.

According to reports, the owners of the ruined cars were told they would not be compensated for the damage.

One of the drivers, Stanislav Sutyagin, later posted a video on YouTube detailing the events. "We could have been killed. What if the criminals had stopped? We could have come under fire? Is it really the case that our lives are worthless in the Russian state?"

Sutyagin claimed that police officers had parked their own cars behind the citizens' cars, and also that one of the cars had been donated by a man driving his pregnant wife to hospital.

The video became a YouTube sensation, and many believe the case would not have been investigated further without it.

The latest event comes the same week that President Dmitri Medvedev was forced to intervene in a car crash involving a top Lukoil executive that killed two women, and was initially not investigated by police, despite a huge public outcry.

Comments

[CoronaDischarge]

03:35 PM on 03/13/2010

This looks like a Russian News account with a recreation of what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvFzxnH2Pf0

[BorisPutinov]

11:02 AM on 03/13/2010

Tovarich.
News from Rus you will not find on these pages.
We just signed a multi year, multi billion Energy and Arms deal with India.
Our fabulous Leader Vladimir the First has been busy in his usual quiet, non-assuming way.
China, Latin America, now India.
Yes Tovarich, Rus is fully back.

Boris

[bluesraves]

03:45 PM on 03/12/2010

Sounds like such a swell country to take the kids for a vacation !

Total nutters

[davidwayneosedach]

01:53 PM on 03/12/2010

If this didn't come out in the international news little or nothing would have been done to reprimand the police.

[padrushka]

05:01 AM on 03/12/2010

it is all typical...cars in moscow, high speed bumper cars and pedestrians run for their lives,even on the sidewalk. while walking on new arbat was nearly struck by ambulance driving on the sidewalk..not new, just different.. militia...hahahahahaha they could save a lot of money in the city by getting rid of the militia..sanctioned thugs

[realitytrumpsbull]

03:45 PM on 03/14/2010

How about just closing the roads to car traffic in certain areas, either at certain times of the day, when traffic is heaviest, or altogether, in problem areas where there's been car fatalities? There's laws that govern traffic, and most of em were written for a reason, mainly having to do with safety, what's the issue with driver's licensing, there, does it amount to being in possession of a set of car keys? What's the fine or jail time if you hit somebody when driving? People in cars that think they're unstoppable can be real @#$2425es.

[BorisPutinov]

11:20 PM on 03/11/2010

Tovarich.
We Rus are in a class by ourselves.
Where else do you hear of such things ?
Our Motherland is an amazing country.

Boris

[SiberianRat]

11:37 PM on 03/11/2010

It truly IS an amazing country, but you're right, definitely a class by itself.

[Oleg1]

04:06 AM on 03/14/2010

How would you know one way or another AmericanRat, considering you know less than nothing about Russia. ?

[T-Faz]

09:15 AM on 03/12/2010

Go to South Asia and Latin countries and you will see alot more than what u r used to.

[SiberianRat]

10:36 PM on 03/11/2010

This is sad. I'm glad he's speaking out though--it takes true bravery. Russian citizens deserve better than this!

[LMPE]

05:58 PM on 03/11/2010

Every time that I've been to Russia, I just walk and take the subway. Anything to avoid cars.

[KIVPossum]

01:47 AM on 03/12/2010

I'm always amazed how the drivers change the lane structure to fit the traffic needs. A four lane road is NEVER just 4 lanes. One block a 4 lane road will have 3 lanes going north, two south. Next block it'll have 5 going south and 2 north. And out of town is even more fun - 140 kph on a two lane road, at night, one headlight, no seatbelts, and a driver with a few shots in him.

The only time you're safe in a car in Russia is when you're parked......in a field.

[padrushka]

05:06 AM on 03/12/2010

panyatna

[MagillaGuerrilla]

05:13 PM on 03/11/2010

In [post]Soviet Russia, police are served and protected by you!