Police are still investigating his actions, but even without the investigation, many violations can be seen.

The program includes Renatas Požėla, Commissioner-General for Police, and Vidmantas Macevičius, Mayor of the Mažeikiai District.

– Mr Požėla, you yourself confirmed today that, according to preliminary data, the officer’s vest was not worn. Why? He had it, but he left it in the car.

R. Požėla: Yes, this is preliminary data, but it is not pre-trial investigation data, it is not official inspection data: it is simply information from primary sources that the deceased officer did not have a safety vest at the time, he was in the trunk of the car. His injured colleague, with whom I was able to communicate directly today, was wearing a vest during the event.

– Right if I’m wrong. The officer was reportedly shot and killed by a Mosin carbine. For those who don’t know, this is a weapon that has been manufactured for over a hundred years. If the officer had worn a vest with a third level of protection, Commissioner, you wouldn’t have protected him in any way from the Mosino carbine, right?

R. Požėla: Probably the best answer to this question may be any member of the hunter community who probably confirms that there is no universal vest that police and other servants would wear on a daily basis and that it could save one hundred percent. That vest, like the other vests we have, is more protection against a cold weapon, like a knife blow. But really one hundred percent of the shot, even more so of the type of weapon you mentioned, doesn’t really protect.

– Yes, officers, at least patrols, generally wear third-level safety vests that protect against a revolver and pistol at best, and not just anyone. But was it possible that the officer who received the summons in the Mažeikiai district took a fourth-level vest with armor plates somewhere? Are there any on commission?

R. Požėla: Let me be clear: The tragic event took place when the information was verified, it was not a report, because the original report was on Thursday night’s eve about domestic violence. As I commented in all the previous chronology, the author was not found at that time, repeatedly in the scene it happened at night from Thursday to Friday to verify the information. Again, a potential abuser was not found. In the morning, the personnel of the activities department, that is, the investigators, went for the third time to verify the information received.

This is a duty confirmed by the General Commissioner of Police: All officers who go to the scene or verify the information must wear the Level 3 body armor he mentioned. But on top of that, police officers are also sufficiently equipped with the level four armored vests you mentioned, which are more designed to withstand a firearm. As far as we know, those vests were in the officer’s trunk at the time of the incident.

Basically, the Aro officers, the officers of the mobile units, are one hundred percent equipped with fourth level vests, but the police community is just as good, and the receptive officers are also equipped with the other types of vests I mentioned.

“A fourth-level vest with an armored plaque that probably would have saved the life of the officer in the trunk?”

R. Požėla: Again, according to preliminary data, those vests were in the trunk of the car. Would they have saved lives? I am not the type of expert and oracle to categorically answer this question.

– Of course, it is not possible to respond categorically, because it depends on the angle of the shot, the distance, etc. Another thing that is very important to find out who appeared in the TV3 news on Saturday: did the woman who called the general help center indicate that the author was armed?

R. Požėla: This information is verified during the pre-trial investigation. I currently do not have such specific data from the pre-trial investigation. However, to my knowledge, there was a brief interview with the person suspected of murdering the official. One of the questions they asked him was “do you have a gun?” The answer was no.

– The call to the general help center will probably be recorded, it is not technologically difficult to hear. Do I understand that you still don’t have that information? Because that would raise completely different questions: if ordinary patrols or a mobile company really had to work, and if there was some serious systemic error on the part of the police.

R. Požėla: All of these questions will definitely be answered. We are conducting an official inspection. And overall, the activities of the recent Telšiai County Chief Police Station are being inspected in terms of people who may have hunted illegally, who may have possessed firearms. So after this event, there will undoubtedly be a fairly comprehensive audit of that police commission, and of course those findings will be very important to us.

– Commissioner, I know that you have not seen everything in the last days due to the high level of employment. Here is a short excerpt from the TV3 news report and then we will return to the interview:

Stasio Braso’s widow: the man was ill, ill, but refused treatment. Because he didn’t understand it.

TV3 journalist: sick with alcohol?

Stasio Bras’ widow: No, and “added.” But depression was also a man. Many people today suffer from depression. But when a person does not understand when it is time to heal …

Neighbors said they were aware of the rifle Braso was holding and that he often shot birds. And Braso’s widow assures that, although officials did not have data on weapons permits, the police should have been aware of the carbine that was found illegally, as she was chasing her herself. Stasio Braso’s wife complained not only about the violence, but said the man was going to shoot him.

Stasio Braso’s widow: I found out that when she left she started threatening her son, he had come with a gun. And then I called, wrote a statement.

TV3 journalist: And the police, knowing that with a gun …

Stasio Braso’s widow: looking for me.

TV3 journalist: So if you had come in place of the police, would you have come in his place?

Stasio Braso’s widow: Yes. One hundred percent.

Police say it will be clarified whether the police have responded adequately to the report.

Remigijus Rudaminas, Telšiai County Police Chief: They had to wear safety vests, at least speaking to the officer currently being treated at the hospital, it turned out that he was actually wearing a vest. According to available information from police station personnel, officers have been warned multiple times that they must wear a bulletproof vest at the scene.

It is still unknown why only the unreinforced patrols of the special forces went in search of a man with the intention of shooting his wife. The wife did not suffer during the tragic events as she hid from her husband a few days ago.

– Want to comment on what you heard? This is not fundamentally in disagreement with what we have said, they are only clear testimonies from the neighbors: they have seen him more than once with a rifle.

R. Požėla: As I said, so far this event raises more questions than we have answers to. We try to investigate, explain all the circumstances of the incident, if the answer was correct, if the information was received correctly or if our trained forces were sent correctly. Furthermore, we audit all the activities of the Telšiai County Chief Police Commissariat, and the conclusions will be very important to us as we make important decisions in the future.

– Commissioner, you have worked for the police for many years and also headed the State Border Guard Service. With all the instructions on how to react, of course, you are thoroughly familiar with it. In your opinion, as the chief of police, from the information you have, what was wrong? What, in your opinion, should have been different, how would you react?

R. Požėla: Now that such a tragic event has occurred, we can silently ask if our officers have protected themselves as they should and if they have taken all appropriate tactical measures to protect their health and lives first. Maybe it doesn’t emphasize the vest, we’ve already talked about that. Although in this case, wearing a vest would hardly have saved a life. However, other actions, when the fired bullet probably went through the door, raises some questions, perhaps it could have been done differently.

During the internal investigation we will analyze the whole situation and the conclusions will be extremely significant after indicating one or the other thing to improve. I don’t want to talk about rapes because we no longer have this person, we no longer have our colleagues. These findings will be very significant for our tomorrow, for other officials who commit violations of a similar nature every day and every time we do not know what awaits us.

– Commissioner, in any case, when you hear the word ‘weapon’ directly or indirectly and mention it somewhere, especially when it comes to a rifle, do you think that two patrols are not the correct way to react?

R. Požėla: Of course, we all understand what a weapon is. Surely police capacity should probably be quite different. Perhaps upon arrival on the scene, our regular police officers should focus more on perimeter security and, after assessing the full threat, wait for other capabilities, as was the case on Friday when mobile units were raised, Aras rose. and when we had information that a potentially armed person is hidden and wanted. So yes, that security will definitely never be too much.

– Maybe the fact that he went to the same house several times a day – he didn’t find it before … You can probably understand a certain loss of vigilance on the part of the officials, do you think?

R. Požėla: Nor would I rule out that perhaps our vigilance has been somewhat relaxed. Also, based on preliminary data, I received information from various sources that the colleague and the person who died may have been familiar. Again, do not go into detail and I do not know how familiar they were, the friends or friends who connected them, but those nuances may also have put some stamp on it. Again, I’m definitely not a judge, there are investigations for that, let’s hope conclusions. As I mentioned, the findings will be extremely meaningful to our entire community.

– Were they familiar?

R. Požėla: As I mentioned, the level of your friendship is really unknown to me. I have no doubt that this fact will be verified during the pre-trial investigation. I just received such information from various sources that were familiar to me. And I really don’t have that kind of information about such acquaintances.

– Commissioner, what is the next step? Now there is a pre-trial investigation and an official inspection, right?

R. Požėla: Yes.

– The pre-trial investigation will, of course, take place in your own course. And what do you hope to determine during the official inspection? Response, expulsion, what was said in the initial report to the general help center, how did you react, all those details so that you can make systemic changes?

R. Požėla: Really so. To draw conclusions, I will repeat myself, not seeking blame, but simply to establish objective truth and make the decisions that we will need to work, react, and lead to such events.

– Mr. Mayor, first of all, briefly describe the mood in the district: how did you live in the Mažeikiai district during these three days?

V. Macevičius: It is difficult to describe that state of mind in words. I can’t even say I’m depressed, just tragic, it seems like everyone is tense. Even a funeral: I saw so many tears a long time ago. As the Commissioner General mentioned, people living in single-family homes know each other for fifteen kilometers; This is not the staircase of an apartment building, where you don’t know who lives in front of you. Many Mažeikiai people knew about the dead officer. The children go to a class, the wife works with many of our employees; I cannot find the words to describe such a situation. After talking to the parents, just a lump in my throat and I don’t know when it will happen.

– Did you know Officer Žymantas?

V. Macevičius: No, I did not know personally. But I know almost all the police in Mažeikiai “by sight”. And I heard about him like a good cynologist: he says a lot about a person.

– You spoke to your loved ones, do people sometimes have very correct versions of these events?

V. Macevičius: You know, it’s hard to talk when the parents stand by the coffin and say, “We don’t believe your son is dead.” Today is probably not the time to talk about the feelings of wives and children because they are difficult to describe.

– Commissioner, many people have probably had a question: a dog trainer and a patrol. I understand that in the police, a cynologist is not a permanent position, it is a part-time position that occupies only part of the workload, right?

R. Požėla: Yes.

– That officer was only on a regular patrol, and part of his job was working with the dog?

R. Požėla: Said officer worked in the operations department, he was essentially an investigator. As I mentioned, the purpose of your visit and that of your fellow researcher to the farm was to verify the information. This is basically his main job, investigating cases, statements, reports. And working with a dog, as you correctly put it, is part of your job and not the most important one: just when such skills are needed, the help of a dog handler and dog, this researcher acted like a dog handler.

– Thanks to the interlocutors. I will only briefly summarize what I managed to discover during this conversation: Officer Saulius Žymantas, who arrived on the scene, was not wearing a safety vest, although he did have a fourth tier vest in his trunk, which would probably protect the officer from a Mosino shotgun. An investigation is underway: the police themselves will find out if there was an adequate response and if the widow called the general helpline that her husband threatened her with a weapon and if the police responded appropriately by sending patrols, perhaps they had to send to a mobile phone company or Aro agents. . This will become clear shortly after a police check.