Three Russian traffic police officers accused of beating driver to death

Three Russian traffic police officers accused of beating driver to death

2011-05-28 04:12:36 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Three traffic police officers in the Russian city of Samara are accused of beating a driver to death, RIA Novosti reported on Friday.

On January 17, the police officers were chasing a vehicle after the driver violated traffic rules when the offender's car crashed into a fence and a gas station. According to the local Investigative Committee, the officers pulled the driver, who was drunk, out from the car and beat him severely. The driver died after 12 days in the hospital.

Russia's police forces have come under criticism in recent years for a string of high-profile scandals involving drunken shooting sprees, rampant corruption and beatings of detainees.

Last year, two traffic police officers in the town of Magadan were sentenced to three years in prison for beating a driver. A video clip showing the officers beating the driver was posted on the town's computer network.

In February, President Dmitry Medvedev launched a police reform in a bid to restore the image of the country's law enforcement agencies. He even changed the word "militia" to the more Western-sounding title of "police".

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-28