Eugene Ejike Obiora
Encyclopedia
Eugene Ejike Obiora was a naturalized
Norwegian
citizen, originally from Nigeria
. The first-born of 10 siblings, he had lived in Norway for more than 20 years.
Obiora's name entered the public limelight in Norway after he died during a police arrest
at a social services office, Østbyen Servicekontor, in Trondheim
. He was there to complain against his being denied social aid. According to early news reports Obiora threatened and photographed the staff, and police were subsequently called in. When Obiora refused to leave the premises and resisted arrest
, a scuffle ensued where a strangle hold
was employed by one of the arresting officers. Shortly thereafter Obiora lost consciousness
and was subsequently transported to the local hospital by the police. He was pronounced dead
despite resuscitation
attempts. The nurses
who received the police patrol car have stated in police interviews that he was positioned "completely limp
on his stomach face down on the floor of the supervisor vehicle."
The case made headlines locally and nationally, with accusations of unnecessary use of force
and racism
leveled at the local police, as well as uproar in African societies in Norway. The media scrutiny intensified when information was uncovered that the officer who held Obiora in a strangle hold
also had been involved in a similar incident in 1999 with a Ghana
ian woman, Sophia Baidoo.
in June 2007, the autopsy
report (Nordrum and Haugen) gives the following commentary on the cause of death
: "The chain of events indicate that the deceased, who was most likely in a state of strong emotional upheaval, has found himself in a situation that was highly detrimental to his respiration by first having been subjected to a 'strangle hold
' and then to have been placed on his stomach having first been handcuffed
." The article went on citing additional statements from the forensic examiners
which said that tests performed with healthy individuals show that a person's lung capacity
is reduced by 40% when strapped down on the stomach for three minutes. The autopsy report also mentions English expert literature in which positioning-related suffocation
is described in connection with police
work, in psychiatric settings and during ambulance transport. In the report from the Special Unit for Police Affairs the cause of death is established to be strangulation. The report notes that point bleeding
, internal bleeding
of the neck muscles, as well as fracture of the thyroid cartilage
all occurred as results of the chokehold, and then goes on to conclude that the injuries caused shortness of breath
, but that they alone did not cause suffocation. The Special Unit in summary finds that there has not been consciously performed "any one act which stopped/hindered" Obiora from breathing. The report goes on stating that it cannot be ruled out that Obiora's death "could have been avoided if the officers had had knowledge about possible dangers of using the stomach position".
. Politiets Fellesforbund was considering suing Samvirkelaget for slander. The case was heard and settled in favour of Samvirkelaget.
Sør-Trøndelag
police district filed a libel complaint on May 2, 2007 against a blog
for having identified the previously mentioned officer by giving his name as well as picture in connection with the case.
. However, the national chief of the Special Unit for Police Affairs did not follow up on this recommendation. All this caused 1100 people to protest in a rally in Trondheim on May 8, 2007, and in simultaneous protests in Trondheim and Oslo
on May 19. An eyewitness
, Ghulam Ali, spoke at the rally giving his version of what took place on the day of Obiora's death, when he saw the incident from a distance and heard the screams from Obiora who had been placed on the ground by the police.
, and on June 28 the Attorney General ordered the Special Unit for Police Affairs to instigate a new and more thorough investigation of the case.
Lawyer Abid Q. Raja, representing Eugene Obiora's surviving family, has demanded that the three arresting officers be charged with willful homicide in the case. Raja has also asserted that one of the officers involved in the arrest teaches arrest techniques at the Police Academy
, a position which should have made the officer especially aware of the consequences of abuse of force. Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the three police officers has stated that Raja is misrepresenting the facts of the case when he repeatedly asserts that Obiora was killed as a direct result of the police using a controversial grip around his throat. "Opinion has been comprehensively misinformed through sensational media coverage. Raja has from the very first said that a policeman has used a stranglehold and that this is the sole cause of death. This is fundamentally incorrect and has led to a public persecution of this officer," the lawyer says.
has instigated a thorough review of police methods generally. The policemen who are involved in the case told the Trondheim daily Adresseavisen
in mid-September 2007 that they would urge the central police leadership to implement routines for temporary re-assigning officers involved in cases such as the Obiora case, where three of the officers have remained in their positions during the investigations and the fourth was re-assigned based on his own initiative. The officers state that they understand how the public would be upset when such re-assignments are not implemented. They emphasize however that there would have to be a change of the rules for this to become routine as otherwise a re-assignment would be perceived, both by the officers and by the public at large, as a censure
. Sør-Trøndelag
police chief Per Marum has on several occasions responded to claims that the officers be suspended that according to the Norwegian civil servant act this can only be effected when existing information exists that could lead to dismissal.
Also in mid-September 2007, the leader of the Special Unit for Police Affairs, Jan Egil Presthus, stated to the Oslo daily Dagsavisen
that all investigations into police conduct of cases that have ended in deaths are going to be posted on the Internet
. He states that a total openness in this way will strengthen the publics confidence in the unit's integrity and ability to conduct its investigations impartially. This comes following Dagsavisen's listing in June of police cases with a deadly result. Since the Special Unit's establishment on January 1, 2005 the investigation into ten of the most serious cases were concluded, in all 10 cases leading to all charges against the police being dropped. A buzzing media discourse focusing on deaths incurred during police arrests and transports has been going on in Norway throughout 2007, and Presthus counts this as one factor triggering the initiative to publish ongoing investigations on the Internet. The cases will be presented on the web pages of the Special Unit for Police Affairs, and they will be presented in a way that preserves the anonymity of officers that are involved, and also other parties in cases where that is considered necessary with respects to protection of privacy.
Norwegian nationality law
Norwegian nationality law is based on the principle of Jus sanguinis. In general, Norwegian citizenship is conferred by birth to a Norwegian parent, or by naturalisation in Norway.Norway restricts, but does not absolutely prohibit, dual citizenship....
Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
citizen, originally from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The first-born of 10 siblings, he had lived in Norway for more than 20 years.
Obiora's name entered the public limelight in Norway after he died during a police arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
at a social services office, Østbyen Servicekontor, in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. He was there to complain against his being denied social aid. According to early news reports Obiora threatened and photographed the staff, and police were subsequently called in. When Obiora refused to leave the premises and resisted arrest
Resisting arrest
Resisting arrest is a term used to describe a criminal charge against an individual who has committed, depending on the jurisdiction, at least one of the following acts:* threatening a police officer with physical violence while being arrested...
, a scuffle ensued where a strangle hold
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
was employed by one of the arresting officers. Shortly thereafter Obiora lost consciousness
Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
and was subsequently transported to the local hospital by the police. He was pronounced dead
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
despite resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
attempts. The nurses
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
who received the police patrol car have stated in police interviews that he was positioned "completely limp
Limp
A limp is a type of asymmetric abnormality of the gait. Limping may be caused by pain, weakness, neuromuscular imbalance, or a skeletal deformity. The most common underlying cause of a painful limp is physical trauma however in the absence of trauma other serious causes such as septic arthritis,...
on his stomach face down on the floor of the supervisor vehicle."
The case made headlines locally and nationally, with accusations of unnecessary use of force
Use of force
The term use of force describes a right of an individual or authority to settle conflicts or prevent certain actions by applying measures to either: a) dissuade another party from a particular course of action, or b) physically intervene to stop them...
and racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
leveled at the local police, as well as uproar in African societies in Norway. The media scrutiny intensified when information was uncovered that the officer who held Obiora in a strangle hold
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
also had been involved in a similar incident in 1999 with a Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian woman, Sophia Baidoo.
Cause of death
According to an article in the Norwegian newspaper AftenpostenAftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
in June 2007, the autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
report (Nordrum and Haugen) gives the following commentary on the cause of death
Cause of Death
Cause of Death is a 1990 album by American death metal band Obituary. Cause of Death is considered a classic album in the history of death metal. The artwork was done by artist Michael Whelan...
: "The chain of events indicate that the deceased, who was most likely in a state of strong emotional upheaval, has found himself in a situation that was highly detrimental to his respiration by first having been subjected to a 'strangle hold
Chokehold
A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...
' and then to have been placed on his stomach having first been handcuffed
Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists close together. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each half has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that prevents it from being opened once closed around a person's wrist...
." The article went on citing additional statements from the forensic examiners
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
which said that tests performed with healthy individuals show that a person's lung capacity
Lung volumes
Lung volumes and lung capacities refer to the volume of air associated with different phases of the respiratory cycle. Lung volumes are directly measured...
is reduced by 40% when strapped down on the stomach for three minutes. The autopsy report also mentions English expert literature in which positioning-related suffocation
Positional asphyxia
Positional asphyxia, also known as postural asphyxia, is a form of asphyxia which occurs when someone's position prevents them from breathing adequately. A small but significant number of people die suddenly and without apparent reason during restraint by police, prison officers and health care...
is described in connection with police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
work, in psychiatric settings and during ambulance transport. In the report from the Special Unit for Police Affairs the cause of death is established to be strangulation. The report notes that point bleeding
Bleeding
Bleeding, technically known as hemorrhaging or haemorrhaging is the loss of blood or blood escape from the circulatory system...
, internal bleeding
Internal bleeding
Internal bleeding is bleeding occurring inside the body. It can be a serious medical emergency depending on where it occurs , and can potentially cause death and cardiac arrest if proper medical treatment is not received quickly....
of the neck muscles, as well as fracture of the thyroid cartilage
Thyroid cartilage
The thyroid cartilage is the largest of the nine cartilages that make up the laryngeal skeleton, the cartilage structure in and around the trachea that contains the larynx....
all occurred as results of the chokehold, and then goes on to conclude that the injuries caused shortness of breath
Dyspnea
Dyspnea , shortness of breath , or air hunger, is the subjective symptom of breathlessness.It is a normal symptom of heavy exertion but becomes pathological if it occurs in unexpected situations...
, but that they alone did not cause suffocation. The Special Unit in summary finds that there has not been consciously performed "any one act which stopped/hindered" Obiora from breathing. The report goes on stating that it cannot be ruled out that Obiora's death "could have been avoided if the officers had had knowledge about possible dangers of using the stomach position".
Renewed interest
The case took a new turn after the band Samvirkelaget produced a CD which included the song "Stopp volden" (Stop the Violence) in which one of the officers who took part in the incident was named. Politiets Fellesforbund (the national trade union for law enforcement officers) sued the band to have the release stopped. The court did not find grounds for issuing an injunction. Nevertheless, it stated that the publicizing of the name of the policeman was libelousSlander and libel
Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander , and libel —is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image...
. Politiets Fellesforbund was considering suing Samvirkelaget for slander. The case was heard and settled in favour of Samvirkelaget.
Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
police district filed a libel complaint on May 2, 2007 against a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
for having identified the previously mentioned officer by giving his name as well as picture in connection with the case.
Police investigation
The case was investigated by the Special Unit for Police Affairs but was abandoned on May 4, 2007 concluding that in the case of three officers there was insufficient evidence to pursue an indictment, a fourth officer, identified as the chauffeur of the patrol car was cleared of any involvement. The Middle Norway Special Unit recommended however that the National Police Directorate be cited with corporate punishment for insufficient police education and training concerning the dangers of stomach positioning and leglockLeglock
A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock...
. However, the national chief of the Special Unit for Police Affairs did not follow up on this recommendation. All this caused 1100 people to protest in a rally in Trondheim on May 8, 2007, and in simultaneous protests in Trondheim and Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
on May 19. An eyewitness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
, Ghulam Ali, spoke at the rally giving his version of what took place on the day of Obiora's death, when he saw the incident from a distance and heard the screams from Obiora who had been placed on the ground by the police.
Demand for prosecution of police officers
In May 2007 the next of kin of Eugene Obiora appealed the dismissal of the investigation against the arresting officers to the Norwegian Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, and on June 28 the Attorney General ordered the Special Unit for Police Affairs to instigate a new and more thorough investigation of the case.
Lawyer Abid Q. Raja, representing Eugene Obiora's surviving family, has demanded that the three arresting officers be charged with willful homicide in the case. Raja has also asserted that one of the officers involved in the arrest teaches arrest techniques at the Police Academy
Police academy
A police academy is a training school for new police recruits, also known as a law enforcement academy.-Australia:Larger police departments usually run their own academies. States often run a centralised academy for training of personnel of law enforcement agencies within the state.Police...
, a position which should have made the officer especially aware of the consequences of abuse of force. Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the three police officers has stated that Raja is misrepresenting the facts of the case when he repeatedly asserts that Obiora was killed as a direct result of the police using a controversial grip around his throat. "Opinion has been comprehensively misinformed through sensational media coverage. Raja has from the very first said that a policeman has used a stranglehold and that this is the sole cause of death. This is fundamentally incorrect and has led to a public persecution of this officer," the lawyer says.
Consequences of the Obiora case
As a direct consequence of the case, training at the Norwegian Police Academy has undergone changes and national police director Ingelin KillengreenIngelin Killengreen
Ingelin Christine Killengreen is a Norwegian jurist and the current Police Commissioner in the National Police Directorate....
has instigated a thorough review of police methods generally. The policemen who are involved in the case told the Trondheim daily Adresseavisen
Adresseavisen
Adresseavisen is a regional newspaper published daily, except Sundays, in Trondheim, Norway. It is an independent, conservative newspaper with a daily circulation of approximately 85,000. It is also informally known as Adressa. The newspaper covers the areas of Trøndelag and Nordmøre.Adresseavisen...
in mid-September 2007 that they would urge the central police leadership to implement routines for temporary re-assigning officers involved in cases such as the Obiora case, where three of the officers have remained in their positions during the investigations and the fourth was re-assigned based on his own initiative. The officers state that they understand how the public would be upset when such re-assignments are not implemented. They emphasize however that there would have to be a change of the rules for this to become routine as otherwise a re-assignment would be perceived, both by the officers and by the public at large, as a censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
. Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
police chief Per Marum has on several occasions responded to claims that the officers be suspended that according to the Norwegian civil servant act this can only be effected when existing information exists that could lead to dismissal.
Also in mid-September 2007, the leader of the Special Unit for Police Affairs, Jan Egil Presthus, stated to the Oslo daily Dagsavisen
Dagsavisen
Dagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent...
that all investigations into police conduct of cases that have ended in deaths are going to be posted on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. He states that a total openness in this way will strengthen the publics confidence in the unit's integrity and ability to conduct its investigations impartially. This comes following Dagsavisen's listing in June of police cases with a deadly result. Since the Special Unit's establishment on January 1, 2005 the investigation into ten of the most serious cases were concluded, in all 10 cases leading to all charges against the police being dropped. A buzzing media discourse focusing on deaths incurred during police arrests and transports has been going on in Norway throughout 2007, and Presthus counts this as one factor triggering the initiative to publish ongoing investigations on the Internet. The cases will be presented on the web pages of the Special Unit for Police Affairs, and they will be presented in a way that preserves the anonymity of officers that are involved, and also other parties in cases where that is considered necessary with respects to protection of privacy.
External links
- Respekt! An ad hoc organization dedicated to the Obiora case and counteracting police violence and racism
- Petition campaign Internet petitionInternet petitionAn Internet petition is a form of petition posted on a website. Visitors to the website in question can add their email addresses or names, and after enough "signatures" have been collected, the resulting letter may be delivered to the subject of the petition, usually via e-mail.-Pros and cons:The...
for an independent investigation into the Obiora case - http://leftpunch.blogspot.com a blog which startet the campaign justice for Obiora