Police in Swiss city face new crisis after teen’s death in chase sparks unrest
Unrest in Lausanne, sparked by a teen’s death during a police pursuit, is compounded by revelations of what mayor calls a ‘systemic discrimination problem’
Lausanne authorities sought on Tuesday to head off a third night of violence in the Swiss city following the death of a teenager fleeing police on a scooter.
The unrest comes with the Olympic capital’s police in the spotlight after four officers were suspended on Monday following the unearthing of racist, sexist and discriminatory messages in private WhatsApp groups.
A 17-year-old Swiss resident of Lausanne, fleeing police on a scooter reported stolen on Saturday, hit a wall and died early on Sunday, despite resuscitation attempts by emergency services.
It was the third death in less than three months in Lausanne during a police intervention. There have been seven such deaths in the city and the wider Vaud region since 2016. Five involved men of African origin.
On Sunday night, “around 100 young people, wearing balaclavas” set fire to several containers and damaged a bus, police said.
The following night, 150–200 people set up roadblocks using rubbish containers, setting them on fire, police said.