Fakir autopsy finds blood in lungs and chest compression, lawyers clash over whether force or drugs caused Bologna death
A preliminary autopsy on Abderrahim Fakir, the 42-year-old who died after being restrained by police in Bologna's Pilastro district on 19 July, has found blood in his lungs and signs of chest compression, without bone fractures or cerebral trauma. The findings have set off a battle of expert interpretations between the family's lawyers and those representing the two officers under investigation.
What the autopsy found
The post-mortem examination was carried out at the Sant'Orsola hospital's institute of legal medicine and lasted between five and six hours, involving seven specialists from at least three disciplines. Four parties were present: the Bologna prosecutor's office, the defence for the two officers, the defence for the Red Cross volunteers who attempted resuscitation, and the legal team for Fakir's relatives.
The key macroscopic findings, confirmed by multiple sources, are the presence of vital blood in the lungs and signs of chest compression. The blood was described as "vitale" (vital), meaning it spread while Fakir's heart was still beating. A CT scan performed the day before the autopsy had already detected the asphyxial picture. However, no bone fractures were found (including to the ribs), nor was there any cerebral concussion. A toxicological test returned a positive result for cocaine, and a mild irritation of the upper airways was noted, probably caused by the pepper spray used by the officers.
Competing explanations for the death
The autopsy did not establish a definitive cause of death. Two starkly different narratives have emerged from the same physical evidence. Fabio Anselmo, the lawyer for Fakir's family, described the findings as "un quadro asfittico, dove è evidente che c'è stata una compressione" (an asphyxial picture where compression is evident). He stated that the results show "asfissia posturale traumatica violenta con segni di infiltrazione emorragica sul dorso e polmoni pieni di sangue" (violent traumatic positional asphyxia with signs of hemorrhagic infiltration on the back and lungs full of blood).
E come ci è finito tutto quel sangue nei polmoni? L'ha inalato perché l'hanno battuto. Non è sangue esterno. Cosa c'entra la cocaina?
Anselmo drew parallels to the deaths of Riccardo Magherini in Florence in 2014 and Federico Aldrovandi in Ferrara in 2005, both of whom died after being restrained face-down by law enforcement. He also criticised Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi for statements defending the officers' conduct, calling him "l'avvocato Piantedosi" and noting that he had never seen such heavy government intervention in a single case in 42 years of practice.
Gabriele Bordoni, representing the two officers registered in the 45-bis register, offered a contrary reading. He said the autopsy "non ha fatto emergere alcunché riferibile ad una azione eccessiva, violenta, da parte dei due agenti" (did not reveal anything attributable to excessive, violent action by the two officers). Bordoni attributed the chest compression to resuscitation manoeuvres performed by 118 volunteers. He also argued that the blood visible under Fakir's head in a newly surfaced video came from a wound to the nape of the neck, sustained when Fakir, after biting an officer's leg, scraped himself while squirming on the ground.
C'è un'unica ferita che si provoca Fakir, mentre è trattenuto, ed è alla nuca.
The video evidence
A new video obtained by multiple news outlets shows the moments immediately after Fakir's death. A forensic police officer lifts a sheet covering the body, revealing Fakir supine with his mouth open and ankles still bound. A large pool of blood is visible under his head, with additional traces on his face. Anselmo seized on the blood in the lungs, asking how it could be explained by cocaine use and stating that the preliminary toxicology test was an orientative screen, not a reliable full analysis, which will take days.
What happens next
The prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for negligent homicide (omicidio colposo). Court-appointed experts have up to 90 days to determine whether the pulmonary hemorrhage was the direct cause of death or a contributing factor alongside others. The central unresolved question remains whether the compression occurred while Fakir was alive, during the approximately five minutes he was held face-down with hands and feet bound, or post-mortem during resuscitation attempts.
- Residents on Via Svevo in Bologna's Pilastro district alert police to a man in an agitated state.
- Two officers restrain Fakir face-down for approximately five minutes, binding his hands and feet. He loses consciousness after asking for help.
- Red Cross volunteers arrive and perform resuscitation manoeuvres. Fakir is pronounced dead at the scene.
- A CT scan detects an asphyxial picture with blood in the lungs. No bone fractures are found.
- Full autopsy conducted at Sant'Orsola hospital over 5-6 hours with seven specialists present. Cocaine-positive result and airway irritation from pepper spray confirmed.
- New video surfaces showing blood under Fakir's head and on his face. Lawyers present competing interpretations of the autopsy findings.
- Court-appointed experts are expected to deliver their final report within 90 days, determining whether the hemorrhage was the direct cause of death or a contributing factor.
