A police officer in Spain is facing an investigation after allegedly choking a suspected thief to death while off duty, during an incident in a suburb of Madrid. The case has drawn comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in the United States.
According to a spokesperson from the National Police, the off-duty municipal officer from Madrid pursued and caught a man suspected of stealing his phone during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday in Torrejón de Ardoz, a town located just east of the capital.
Video footage released by Spanish media depicts the plainclothes officer restraining the suspect on the ground with his arm around the man’s neck, holding him there until on-duty officers could arrive.
In the video, several witnesses are heard urging the officer to ease his hold.
‘You’re going to suffocate the guy, man. Let go of his neck,’ one bystander can be heard shouting.
Another voice adds: ‘He’s not going to run away. Just let him go.’
When the National Police reached the scene, the suspect was unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel were called but were unable to revive the man.
Emergency services later confirmed via social media platform X that a 36-year-old man had died from asphyxiation in Torrejón de Ardoz, after 30 minutes of resuscitation attempts failed to restart his heart.
Officials have said they are awaiting preliminary autopsy findings to determine the definitive cause of death.
The incident has provoked condemnation from left-wing political groups in the Madrid region, which is governed by the right-wing People’s Party (PP).
The Más Madrid party has called for an official investigation into what it described as an ‘apparent asphyxiation killing by a police officer’.
‘If confirmed, this would be a very serious case of racist police violence resulting in the death of a North African man,’ the party said in a statement on X (see below).
In response, a local left-wing group has organised a protest for Saturday in Torrejón, labeling the incident a ‘racist killing at the hands of police’.
On Thursday, a judge ordered the release of the officer – whose identity has not been made public – while an investigation into possible negligent homicide is underway, according to the Madrid High Court of Justice.
The judge has imposed precautionary measures, requiring the officer to surrender his passport and check in weekly with authorities.
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Queda en libertad provisional imputado por homicidio imprudente el policía detenido por asfixiar a un ladrón.https://t.co/WU097PorWS
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) June 19, 2025
Un móvil no vale la vida de nadie. Lo sucedido en Torrejón de Ardoz es de una extrema gravedad.
El Ayuntamiento de Madrid debe suspender cautelarmente de sus funciones al agente de Policía Municipal implicado mientras avanza la investigación. pic.twitter.com/dceflsrTel
— Rita Maestre 🌾 (@Rita_Maestre) June 19, 2025
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