Family of man who died during arrest file manslaughter complaint

The family of a man who died after being arrested when police wrongly suspected him of stealing a fatbike have formally accused the force of manslaughter.

Alfredo Goeloe, 51, collapsed as officers restrained him after he was stopped on the bike in Rotterdam on Saturday evening. Police tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him at the scene using a defibrilator.

In a video clip shot by a passer-by, Mr Goeloe could be heard screaming in pain and protesting that he had diabetes. His family said he had gone out on his sister’s fatbike to fetch diabetes medication while he was attending her baby shower party.

Around 1,000 people took part in a silent vigil on Monday evening and a march to the police station on Zuidplein.

A police spokesman later admitted that the bike had not been stolen. Mr Goeloe was pinned to the ground after he allegedly resisted arrest when police tried to detain him for failing to show ID papers.

The lawyer for the family, Gerard Roethof, said a formal complaint of manslaughter had been filed against the police force, which independent investigators will now have to assess.

“Too fast”

“The family say this is about much more than the order to use force,” Roethof told NOS. “We think this is a case of manslaughter, or in any event severe assault with fatal consequences.”

The prosecution department said on Friday that initial investigations showed he had been stopped by police on suspicion of riding too fast on the fatbike rather than because the vehicle was stolen.

At the time police in the area were looking out for a man and woman described as around 40 years old who had allegedly stolen a fatbike.

The internal police investigations division Rijksrecherche is examining the circumstances of Mr Goeloe’s death, including video footage, and the family’s complaint.