Russian police chief fired after boy’s death
Feb 10, 2012, 6:00 PM
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) – Russia’s president has fired the police chief of St. Petersburg, where a 15-year-old boy died after being beaten while in police custody.
The dismissal of Mikhail Sukhodolsky on Friday caused some drama at police headquarters, where special forces officers were sent to make sure he vacated his offices.
The Interior Ministry had carried out an internal investigation following the death of the teenager, who had been detained as a suspect in a robbery.
The dismissal also followed reports of infighting and rivalry between Sukhodolsky and his deputy, and between Sukhodolsky and Russia’s interior minister. Sukhodolsky had been the interior minister’s first deputy before being appointed the St. Petersburg police chief in June of last year.
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