The prosecution has requested a one year prison sentence for five residents of a home in the Madrid district of Villaverde. They faced charges including insulting, threatening and injuring police officers during December 2020 when local restrictions due to the coronavirus were in place.
This case is one of three so-called knock in on the door incidents that occurred on December 9, 2020 on Pan y Toros street in Madrid. Twelve agents went to an apartment after neighbors reported hearing a woman and a child screaming, and they entered the residence despite the occupants resisting.
The case traces back to a police report alleging resistance or disobedience by the residents. The tenants’ defense attorney then filed a complaint with the officers involved over the attempted entry and actions taken at the scene.
In May last year the Madrid Court No 4 decided to file the case against the agents for resistance or disobedience and also charged two individuals with a minor injury offense.
The Prosecutor’s Office says that around 5 30 in the morning on the day in question several agents arrived at the apartment after receiving a call about a screaming woman and a crying child inside the home.
The officers knocked several times to protect their safety, but there was no immediate response. Eventually the door was opened by a resident and questions about the occupants were left unanswered. The officers noted in the proceedings that there was suspicion of a potential sexual crime or domestic violence, and the occupants showed arrogance and a refusal to cooperate.
Witnesses inside the apartment later reported that others inside insulted the officers, claiming that they had previously been detained without consequence. Some individuals began tossing glass bottles from a window as more police arrived on the scene.
When the door finally opened fully, a police officer blocked the doorway with a foot to prevent it from closing and was pushed by residents. In response, another officer used pepper spray on those under investigation.
Additional officers arrived, and a woman was heard calling for help from a window. The force used a ram to pry the door open, pushing it from its frame, which allowed the occupants to be detained and taken into custody. A police report later stated that the woman and child were found in one bedroom of the flat in good condition, and neighbors from the neighborhood contended that there was no ongoing party or immediate danger inside the residence.
In the same period there were calls to investigate a separate incident known as the kick in on Lagasca Street that occurred on March 21, 2021. The judge ordered the proceedings to continue against the responsible assistant inspector, while the State Court later instructed that six officers involved face trial before a jury for a possible trespass charge.
Experts note that these cases highlight tensions around police procedures during the enforcement of public safety measures. Observers emphasize the need for careful assessment of each entry and the balance between safeguarding officers and protecting residents. This ongoing legal process continues to unfold in Madrid courts, with prosecutors, defense lawyers and judges weighing the evidence and legal standards in light of the facts at each site of entry.