According to reports from EL PERIÓDICO, a newspaper sharing ownership with this outlet, the man who died on Avinguda de Parallel after a prolonged wait for an ambulance did not perish from external causes. An autopsy indicated that the death was not linked to the restraint used by Mossos d’Esquadra officers to prevent him from colliding with a vehicle. The individual had already shown signs of distress and intoxication shortly before the incident, and the toxicology results are awaited to determine whether a narcotic substance played a role or if swifter medical attention might have altered the outcome.
Three eyewitnesses interviewed by this outlet on Friday reported that several restaurant patrons along Avinguda de Parallel observed the man’s distress and contacted 911 for help. The ambulance did not arrive until after it had stopped responding to the scene. The call was initially classified as a cardiorespiratory emergency and then upgraded to serious about half an hour after the first emergency request. Police sources confirmed the delay and stated that the man collapsed while officers were attempting to restrain him to avoid self-harm, in the presence of a citizen who described himself as a physician. Witnesses corroborated the police version. The Medical Emergency System (SEM) indicated that the incident was logged at 21:50 via 112 and was initially categorized as minor; roughly thirty minutes later, it was deemed serious, and the ambulance arrived within three minutes of that reassessment.
chronology
Around 9:00 p.m., a visibly distraught man is said to have crossed Avinguda de Parallel, shouting and clutching a chair, as a bar employee recalled. The man, described as a visitor to Barcelona, spoke English and appeared to reside in the city. He positioned himself with his back to a parked car, sitting on the curb with his knees drawn up, as another bartender at the same establishment described. Nearby, a diner from the Galician business district noted the same scene.
Added to these accounts were the observations of a married couple who were patrons at a second bar. They described the man as behaving erratically, prompting others to call for help. A couple stepped forward to try to calm him, but he suddenly reacted violently, knocking a woman to the ground—an action some attributed to drug use. During this time, a Mossos d’Esquadra patrol from the Ciutat Vella station responded; witnesses nearby approached a vehicle that had been at a crime scene to request assistance.
The officers exited the vehicle to render aid and assess the man’s condition. They found him seated on the floor, still in distress, and he appeared to be speaking a mix of languages, including English, with references to intoxication. The police indicated that they opened a perimeter and waited to secure medical help. An ambulance was summoned again as the scene remained under observation. The area around the Vigo bar where the event unfolded was secured as officers prepared to manage the situation.
According to the police version, which the witnesses did not dispute, the intervention aimed to prevent harm. Officers positioned the man on the ground, placed a towel under his head, and restrained him while awaiting medical assistance. The man sometimes cried out and periods of spasms followed as minutes ticked by. The sequence of actions and the delay in medical response became a point of contention and scrutiny among observers.
cardiorespiratory arrest
Witnesses stated that after more than half an hour under restraint, the man entered cardio-respiratory arrest. A doctor who happened to be present helped perform resuscitation efforts. While these maneuvers were underway, the first SEM unit arrived, followed promptly by three additional SEM crews. The autopsy later confirmed that death was not caused by heart failure resulting from police restraint.
SEM officials reported that the neighbor was transported to Hospital Clinic de Barcelona in critical condition and died shortly thereafter. Early communications described the incident as minor, relying on the initial alert received around 20:50. An update from Catalan police, between 21:15 and 21:20, reframed the assessment as serious, after which ambulance support arrived within three minutes.