A 20-year-old man died early Sunday morning (12/7/26) at the KAT Hospital in Athens after being critically injured in a police shooting during a high-speed chase in Argos, Peloponnese. He had been admitted intubated to the hospital’s intensive care unit but could not recover.
Officers Remanded in Custody
Two officers from the Mobile Unit of the Hellenic Police (OPKE) were remanded in custody following lengthy interrogations at the Nafplio Judicial Court. They face criminal charges for attempted homicide with possible intent under calm mental conditions, as well as violations of Greece’s firearms legislation — related to the shots that left the young driver severely wounded.
Details of the Incident
The chase began in the Pyrgela area and lasted approximately 35 minutes, winding through central Argos and surrounding neighborhoods including Elliniko, the airport zone, Stathaiika, and Monastiraki, before ending near a supermarket where the suspect’s vehicle was immobilized by police cruisers.
After stopping, the 20-year-old fled on foot, climbed over a perimeter wall, and entered an abandoned building on adjacent land. It was there that the officers opened fire — striking him twice in the head.
Video Evidence and Forensic Findings
Footage aired Saturday night (11/7/26) by MEGA showed officers firing at the young man seconds before he collapsed. The timestamp on the video read 00:54:30 — less than a minute later, gunfire erupted. While 13 spent shell casings were recovered at the scene, the video evidence suggests at least 21 shots were fired.
A medical report from KAT Hospital confirmed the presence of a foreign object resembling a bullet lodged in the victim’s skull — contradicting earlier claims of mere shrapnel injuries. This finding makes ballistic analysis of the officers’ weapons critical to determining which officer fired the fatal shots.
Investigators are now awaiting both the final forensic autopsy report and the results of ballistic tests on the officers’ firearms.
Officers’ Claims
The two officers reportedly claimed their shots were intended as warning fire — not aimed directly at the suspect — and were meant to deter rather than injure. Audio from the scene, however, captured panicked exchanges among responding personnel, raising questions about command and control during the operation.