A 20-year-old man is brain dead after being critically wounded by police gunfire during a car chase in Argos, having been struck by two bullets in the back of the head. The incident has sparked intense public outcry, as the two OPKE special operations officers now face serious felony charges. The officers, however, maintain that they fired warning shots and had no intention of harming the young man. Ballistic and forensic examinations are expected to shed light on the exact circumstances under which the shots were fired. According to STAR, the two officers have stated that they did not want to cause harm and that they fired only warning shots.
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Argos shooting: What the two officers are claiming
Both the prosecutorial and disciplinary investigations into the bloody incident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning in Argos, are now in full swing. Authorities are examining whether the officers fired directly at the young man or whether his injuries resulted from ricocheting bullets. The findings of the ballistic and forensic examinations are considered pivotal to the case, as they will clarify how the 20-year-old came to be struck by two bullets in the head. The two officers were arrested under the flagrante delicto procedure and were brought before the Nafplio prosecutor, where they were charged with attempted manslaughter with possible intent in a state of calm — an extremely serious felony charge. The defendants requested and were granted a deadline to submit their defense testimony on Friday.
Star News revealed the first statements the two officers reportedly made to their colleagues immediately after the incident, describing their own account of what happened during the pursuit. According to what they claim: “While we were chasing him on foot, and in order to make him aware that we were following him — since at certain points we had lost visual contact — we fired warning shots to get him to surrender. We obviously did not want to hurt him.” This position forms the central pillar of their legal defense. Through their attorneys, they argue that the shots were fired exclusively as a deterrent and were in no way aimed at the 20-year-old. However, the actual facts of the case will be assessed through the scientific findings of the ongoing investigations.
Timeline of the chase
Everything began shortly after 2:00 a.m., when OPKE officers signaled the driver of a black car to stop for a check. According to case details, the 20-year-old did not comply with police orders and instead accelerated at high speed in an attempt to flee. The chase lasted more than half an hour, with the young man driving through four villages and the town of Argos itself, running red lights and driving into oncoming traffic. According to authorities, he also attempted to ram police patrol cars and officers.
The pursuit came to an end when the 20-year-old abandoned his vehicle near a supermarket parking lot. He then attempted to flee on foot, climbing over walls and fences in succession, until he ended up inside an abandoned factory. It was there that the officers discharged their service weapons. At least four bullet casings have been recovered at the scene, and the young man sustained serious injuries, having been struck by two rounds in the back of the head.
He was initially transferred to Thriasio Hospital and subsequently moved to KAT Hospital, where he was kept intubated in the Intensive Care Unit. According to the latest information, doctors have now confirmed that he is brain dead — a development that adds even greater gravity to the case. Attention has now turned to the results of the ballistic and forensic examinations, which will determine whether the shots were fired directly at the victim or were the result of ricochets, and are expected to shape the further judicial course of the case.
