‘It appears the brain damage is extremely severe—and clearly irreversible,’ said Maria Sfetsou, lawyer for the mother of a 20-year-old man critically injured after being shot in the head by police during a high-speed chase in Argos on the evening of Wednesday, 8 July 2026. The young man remains intubated and in critical condition at Athens’ KAT Hospital — having been transferred there from Thriassio General Hospital, where he was initially admitted.
Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
According to Sfetsou, who today obtained official medical documentation from Thriassio, the victim sustained a fracture of the occipital bone — located at the base of the skull. ‘The bullet entered there and became lodged in the right frontal lobe, where it remains,’ she explained. ‘The brain injury is catastrophic and irreversible.’
She outlined two possible outcomes: either the patient remains in a persistent vegetative state — described as the ‘best-case scenario’ — or progresses to clinical death. In the latter case, brain death testing is expected to take place in the coming days at KAT Hospital, though the exact timing remains uncertain. Medical indicators, she added, currently point strongly toward that outcome.
Mental Health and Context of the Incident
The lawyer noted that the young man has documented cognitive impairments, verified by certificates issued by Greece’s Centre for Assessment and Support of People with Disabilities (KEPA). She also referenced a prior traumatic experience involving police detention, which likely contributed to an intense fear response during the chase. ‘Given his psychological vulnerability, his reaction — driven by panic and disproportionate fear — differed significantly from that of an average person,’ she said.
Investigation Underway
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under forensic scrutiny. A ballistic examination is expected to determine whether officers fired directly at the suspect or into the air as a warning — with one bullet possibly ricocheting and striking him in the head. So far, 13 spent shell casings have been recovered from the scene.
Timeline of the Chase
The pursuit began in the Pyrgela area and lasted approximately 35 minutes, winding through several neighborhoods of Argos — including Elliniko, the airport district, Stathmika, and Monastiraki — before ending at a supermarket parking lot where the suspect’s vehicle was immobilized by police cruisers. After abandoning the car, the 20-year-old scaled a perimeter wall into an adjacent vacant lot containing an abandoned building. It was there that officers opened fire, striking him twice in the head.
Two officers involved in the shooting appeared before investigators on Friday, 10 July, and were granted a 24-hour extension to prepare their formal statements — due by Saturday, 11 July.