Genti Berisha, the 27-year-old Albanian detained for the death of Milan Local Police officer Francesco Imprezzabile, has taken full responsibility for the tragic event.
This was stated by his lawyer, Fabrizio Cardinali, emphasizing that his client admitted that he was the one at the wheel of the rented SUV that on Monday evening did not obey the police order to stop, causing the pursuit that ended with the officer’s fatal accident.
According to the lawyer, Berisha described the escape as an instinctive and ill-considered act.
“He has taken full responsibility for this instinctive and irresponsible gesture, misjudging the situation like an immature person,” Cardinali said.
The lawyer indicated that the reason the 27-year-old did not stop was that there were about 3 grams of marijuana in the vehicle.
“With three grams of marijuana nothing would have happened,” he said, adding that his client is “deeply remorseful and emotionally very shaken.”
According to the defense, Berisha intends to make a reparative gesture towards the victim’s family, within his means, while the lawyer will ask the court to replace the security measure with house arrest.
Regarding the other people in the vehicle, Cardinali explained that his client stated that a friend and several of his friends were in the car. He expressed his willingness to provide their identities if necessary for the investigation.
“I have already put them in danger with this action and I do not want them to be involved further, because I was the one who made the decision to leave. They had no influence on my choice,” Berisha is quoted as saying.
The lawyer added that the 27-year-old works at a car wash and that he is only now realizing the gravity of what happened.
“This is a tragedy. Now he understands that, if he had reasoned, he would not have left. He did not even realize that the policeman had fallen during the pursuit; he continued to leave without understanding what had happened,” Cardinali declared.
Regarding the fact that Berisha did not surrender immediately, the lawyer explained that the morning after the incident, he was contacted by his father, who was in Albania. According to him, the young man was trying to contact him to report to the police together.
“If he had wanted to escape, they wouldn’t have found him at home,” the 27-year-old’s lawyer concluded.