The family of Yannick Verdyck, the man who died last week in a firefight with the police during a search in Merksem, is filing a complaint against the police for manslaughter. “His violent death after an action by the police incomprehensible to us raises many questions,” it sounds.
“With deep sorrow, but also with great wrath, we have to watch helplessly as the memory of our beloved son and brother is smeared by some people in the media,” the family said in a press release, distributed by their lawyer John Maes. “He is completely wrongly described as far-right, racist, and even a danger to our society.”
READ ALSO. Man released after house searches testifies: “Yannick was not a Nazi. We didn’t want to commit an attack at all” (+)
The court found more than 200 firearms during the various house searches at Verdyck (36) and the other members of the Merksemse Schutters Vereniging, the federal prosecutor’s office reported Monday. The final number may be much higher, because all seized weapons have not yet been counted.
READ ALSO. More than 200 firearms found in house searches in which ‘prepper’ Yannick Verdyck was shot
“Immaculate reputation”
“Nothing could be further from the truth, Yannick was a sociable man, caring for his family and friends,” said his family. “As a gold and silver trader, he came into contact with a wide variety of people with whom he was highly regarded and with whom he had often also built up friendships. He was a gun enthusiast and collector, but he had an impeccable reputation and as a result was also president of an association of sport shooters. Yannick had his own opinion and philosophy, and spoke out openly, without wanting to hurt or harm anyone.”
READ ALSO. Shot and killed Yannick Verdyck had more than 100 weapons: “In Belgium you can possess an illegal weapon in two ways” (+)
“His violent death as a result of a police action incomprehensible to us raises many questions. We have therefore instructed our counsel to file a civil action complaint for acts of manslaughter, and hope for an objective and thorough investigation into the true circumstances of his death.”
READ ALSO. “The officers shouted ‘ta gueule’ and then they shot”: deadly raid on weapon collector Yannick Verdyck also receives a lot of criticism (+)
According to the federal prosecutor, the police operation in which Verdyck was killed was aimed at a group suspected of right-wing extremism and illegal possession of weapons. All together, a dozen house searches took place in our country last Wednesday.
