Stories behind the portraits of 5 victims of police violence photographs painted over by George M. Vasilescu

Eleazar Garcia

Eleazar Garcia, 30 years old and 75% mentally impaired at the time of the incident, died defenceless of a heart attack in September 2019 after being brutally prevented from re-entering the local football stadium, which he had briefly left before, by Gijón security and police. His family brought charges against eight security guards and five officers, accusing them of involuntary manslaughter and a racist crime. The charges were rejected by the prosecution “for lack of evidence” and with reference to the “natural cause of death”. 

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Morais da Silva Matos

14-year-old Morais da Silva Matos was shot by police in a pharmacy in the city of Vitória da Conquista, Brazil, on 14 July 2021. The Mobile Emergency Service (Samu) helped him and sent him to the General Hospital of Vitória da Conquista, but he did not survive. Morais was accused of being involved in an armed conflict between several Roma and the police, in which two police officers and six Roma died. The police then terrorised the local Roma community for days, beating up many people and looting houses.

Daniel Jiménez

Daniel Jiménez, 39, was found dead in the dungeons of the national police station in Algeciras, Spain, on 1 June 2020. The police claim that he had hung himself with the rags of a blanket in his cell and had previously tried to take his own life several times. His family does not find the statement credible.

Daniel was arrested on 30 May after an argument with his ex-partner. After being locked up at the police station for a day and a half, he spoke to his father and was aware that he would be brought before the judge the next day, on 1 June, who would possibly acquit him with or without charges. Daniel’s body was not released to his family until 5 June, five days after his death. 

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Gabriel-Daniel Dumitrache

On 4 March 2014, Gabriel-Daniel Dumitrache, 26, left his house in Bucharest, where he lived with his mother, at around 7 pm to go to work as a parking attendant. That same night, several police officers came to his mother’s house and demanded Daniel’s ID. About 20 minutes later, the police officers informed the family that Daniel was dead.

According to official documents, the death occurred at the Old Town police station.

The death certificate states the causes of death as acute anaemia, massive haemoperitoneum and pathological rupture of spleen, and the body had several injuries. Gabriel-Daniel’s colleagues are convinced that he was killed by a police officer named Moldoveanu. They stated that they had also been beaten by him in the past.

Stanislav Tomáš 

After a brutal police operation, 46-year-old Stanislav Tomáš died in Teplice, Czech Republic, on 19 June 2021. For six minutes one policeman knelt on his neck, others sat on his legs and back. He died a few minutes later in the ambulance that was called. The police deny any guilt and claim that Stanislav Tomáš died of a drug overdose. In fact, Tomáš was already lying injured on the ground after a conflict with another man. Previously there had been an altercation between the two, they are said to have damaged cars standing around, among other things. However, independent observers could not detect any damage. Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamácek expressed his support for the police on Twitter and Prime Minister Andrey Babiš thanked the police.