Police rifle that killed 17-year-old in Amed sent to Afrin

It has been alleged that the police rifle that killed 17-year-old Ömer Koç in Amed was sent to Afrin.

On 4 October 2015, 17 years old Ömer Koç, living in Amed’s (Diyarbakır) central Bağlar district, left his home, saying he would watch a soccer match at the coffeehouse. He was then shot with a hunting rifle near a Ranger type police vehicle two streets away from his home.

Police neither took the minor to hospital nor allowed the ambulance called to the scene to approach him. His body was then retrieved by his parents who rushed to the scene after hearing about the incident. He was taken to hospital but didn’t survive.

At the same hours, gunfire opened from the same brand of police vehicle in Huzurevleri neighborhood left 20-year-old Rezzan Kaya dead.

According to Mesopotamia News Agency (MA), police took the minutes down not at the scene but at the police department.

Father Mehmet Koç said a woman called them on the day of the incident and told them “Police killed Ömer”.

Special operations police F.K. (53) gave a statement as a suspect on 19 December 2017, short after he retired, in line with the accusation of “causing death by firearms”. He turned out to be carrying a hunting rifle on the day of the incident.  

The police officer stated that he and his team were joining the operations in Sur and Silvan districts which were under curfew at the time. He said he delivered the hunting rifle appropriated for him to depot after the operations in Sur and Silvan ended.

After the removal of buckshots from the minor’s body, prosecutor at the Employee Crimes Department under Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office asked Diyarbakır Security Directorate to send the 12 CAL. Mosberg brand hunting rifle appropriated for the suspect police officer to criminal laboratory for a ballistic examination.

Director of Diyarbakır Security Directorate replied to the prosecutor with a written statement on 13 April, saying the following;

"(...) No examination could be conducted on the 12 Cal Mosberg pump hunting rifle, Serial No J 28 1753, as it was appropriated for the Directorate of Special Operations Department personnel assigned to participate in the Operation Olive Branch.”