A resident of Linyola was driving along Avenida Prat de la Riba with his young daughter in the car. Minutes later, according to his complaint filed with the Mossos d’Esquadra, he was on the ground with a knee on his neck, unable to breathe, handcuffed, with a recently operated arm twisted behind his back, and a Guardia Urbana officer on top of him. Hours later, at the hospital, another officer allegedly grabbed him by the neck, slammed him against the wall, and threatened him to watch his step because he now knew who he was and could come after him. The response from the Lleida City Council has not been to open an internal investigation, but rather to file a private prosecution against the complainant for assaulting law enforcement officers. The institution that should protect the citizen becomes their accuser.
The Complainant’s Account: Suffocation, Blows, and Threats at the Hospital
The events, according to the Linyola resident’s account as reported by SEGRE, began when several Guardia Urbana officers shouted at him for cutting them off. The complainant claims there was a slight scrape between his vehicle and the patrol car, and he points out a detail that casts doubt on the official version: the scratch on the police car was black, while his car is white. This detail, if confirmed, would indicate that the scrape was not with his vehicle or that the damage was pre-existing.
The escalation of violence was immediate. According to the complaint, the officers threw him to the ground, twisted his recently operated arm, handcuffed him, placed a knee on his neck, and another officer got on top of him. The complainant stated he could not breathe. A third officer threw him against the door frame of the police vehicle, hitting his forehead, and punched him three times in the face.
The situation did not end on the public street. Already at the hospital, where he was taken after his arrest, an officer grabbed him by the neck, slammed him against the wall, and told him to watch his step because he now knew who he was and could come after him. The complainant, who is looking for eyewitnesses, has filed a formal complaint with the Mossos d’Esquadra, the police force responsible for investigating other police forces in Catalonia.
The Paeria’s Response: Denial and Criminalization of the Complainant
The reaction from the Lleida City Council was immediate and forceful. The Paeria categorically denies the assault. According to its official version, the complainant confronted the officers and they proceeded to arrest him. Far from ordering an internal investigation to clarify what happened, the council has announced that it will file a private prosecution against the resident for assaulting law enforcement officers.
This decision raises a fundamental question: what happens to the presumption of innocence when the very institution that should guarantee it becomes the accuser of a citizen who claims to have been the victim of an assault? The Paeria not only fails to investigate, but also criminalizes the complainant, reversing the roles: the citizen who reports alleged police brutality becomes the accused, and the City Council, his accuser.
For the citizens of Lleida, this institutional attitude sends a worrying message: if you report the Guardia Urbana, the City Council will take you to court. The role of private prosecution should be reserved for cases where there is strong evidence of a crime, not to silence uncomfortable complaints against municipal officers.
The Context: A Guardia Urbana Under Recurring Scrutiny
This is not an isolated case. The Guardia Urbana of Lleida has been at the center of several controversies over the use of force. In the past, a video showed several officers subduing a young man on Carrer Major with a brutality that sparked criticism on social media and in the municipal plenary session. On another occasion, a detainee reported being beaten in a cell, although the case was closed due to lack of evidence.
The underlying problem is the lack of independent internal oversight mechanisms. When a citizen reports the Guardia Urbana, the investigation falls to the Mossos d’Esquadra, but the Paeria has the authority to open internal disciplinary proceedings. In this case, the City Council has chosen not to do so and has instead decided to pursue the complainant.
The decision to file a private prosecution implies that the City Council will use public resources to litigate against a neighbor who claims to have been the victim of an assault. In a context of municipal spending restraint, this priority is, to say the least, questionable.
The Impact on the Lleida Citizen: Who to Turn To?
For a citizen of Lleida who feels they have been the victim of police abuse, this case sets a discouraging precedent. If you report it, not only do you face the difficulty of proving the facts, but the very institution that employs the reported officers becomes your accuser. The implicit message is clear: it’s better to stay quiet.
The complaint with the Mossos d’Esquadra is the route chosen by the Linyola resident, but experience shows that internal investigations between police forces rarely conclude with strong sanctions. The lack of independent witnesses, delays in gathering evidence, and police corporatism usually work in the officers’ favor.
The complainant is looking for witnesses who might have seen the events on Avenida Prat de la Riba in Linyola. Coverage of this case in local media may help locate someone who witnessed what happened and is willing to testify. Without witnesses, a citizen’s word against that of the officers rarely succeeds in court.
A Reflection for the Future: The Need for Independent Oversight Mechanisms
This case should spark a debate in Lleida about the need to create independent mechanisms for overseeing police conduct. As long as the Paeria acts as judge and jury, citizens who report the Guardia Urbana will be in a position of institutional vulnerability.
The creation of a citizen oversight committee for police conduct, with participation from political parties, neighborhood associations, and independent experts, could be a solution. Another would be the mandatory use of body cameras activated during all interventions by officers, a measure already implemented in other Spanish cities that reduces both false complaints and actual abuses.
In the meantime, the Linyola resident waits for the Mossos to investigate his complaint impartially. Instead of filing a private prosecution against him, the Paeria should have opened an internal investigation and, if the facts are confirmed, held those responsible accountable. The presumption of innocence is not a privilege for officers; it is a right for all citizens, including those who report being victims of police assault. In Lleida, that right appears to be in doubt when the institution that should protect it becomes the accuser.