Prato prison officer suspended over hospital shooting investigation

A prison officer has been suspended for four months following an investigation into a shooting at the Santo Stefano hospital emergency room in Prato. The officer is facing provisional charges of attempted murder after allegedly firing three shots at a 22-year-old Moroccan national in the hospital's warm room.

The suspension, ordered by a judge at the request of the Prato Prosecutor's Office, specifically addresses two counts of falsification intended to secure impunity for the shooting. Investigators allege the officer misled medical staff by claiming he was attacked with a fire extinguisher to justify injuries to his chest and wrist. Additionally, the officer is accused of filing a false service report claiming he fired his weapon into the air and in the opposite direction of the victim.

The incident occurred following the arrest of the 22-year-old, who was accused of attempting to smuggle hashish and mobile phones into a nearby prison. The suspect had been taken to the hospital for a minor head injury sustained during his arrest before the shooting took place.