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Last farewell for the fallen police officers

04 March 2011 / 11:03:52  GRReporter
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Thousands of policemen and ordinary citizens are flocking for a second day of the place of death of two officers from the troops "Dias", who died during police pursuit in order to honor their memory. The street on which the young police officers were killed by the shots of the daring assailants divides the territories of two municipalities. Their governments intend to change the street name and to call it after their names.

 

The tragic victims of daring criminals were buried today with military honors at their homelands. Yannis Evangelinelis in the Athens suburb of Peristeri and George Skiloyannis in Trikala. The coffins of the two police officers were covered with the national flags and funeral costs were covered by the state. Aa a tribute the national flag of Greece at the ministry for citizens protection was brought down to the middle and also in all offices of the police and Coast Guard.

22-year-old George, the first child in a large family became a member of the Greek police in 2009. "He went to Athens filled with dreams. He wanted to help his family and his four younger brothers and sisters, so he became a policeman. He was very hardworking and had a good character. Although he received a salary of 800 euros he was happy and loved his job" tells about his nephew, Dimitris Skiloyannis.

"I still can not believe that is no longer with us. We were waiting for him to come in Trikala this weekend, but instead of him a coffin arrived".

One of the neighbors of the family says that two hours after the shooting he saw his father, who was very worried. "A little later the police called him and he immediately left for Athens, with his wife and with the Deputy Governor of the police in Trikala".

The funeral of George except by his relatives and friends was attended also by the general secretary of the ministry for citizens protection and the Greek police commander Eleftherios Ikonomou. Dozens of colleagues of the killed policeman accompanied the funeral procession with their motorcycles, on which they had tied black ribbons.

As a good and helpful young man his neighbors in the Athens suburb of Peristeri described the 23-years old Yannis Evangelinelis. The untimely death of his father several years ago forced him to start work as soon as completing secondary education.

"Yannis endeavored to support financially his mother and two sisters. He hardly ever kept the money for himself and we are talking about a salary, which did not exceed 800 euros per month", says a close family friend.

He was never especially keen to become a policeman, but after his admission in the police school he loved his job and was particularly pleased that he became a member of the squads "DIAS".

Thousands of relatives, friends, colleagues and ordinary citizens gathered at the cemetery of Peristeri at the funeral of Yannis, who died while on duty. The funeral was not attended by representatives of the political leadership of the ministry for citizens protection at the request of relatives of the killed policeman, who requested there be only his relatives, colleagues and friends.

The ministry issued a message in which the political leadership "once again expresses its deep sorrow for the ridiculous death of two officers from the troops "DIAS" Yannis Evangelinelis and George Skiloyannis and joins the heavy mourning of the Greek police and their relatives". The ministry promised to provide all necessary support to the families of the fallen police officers.

After the funerals of the two police officers, the deputy director of the Greek police Yiannis Rahovitsas resigned in protest against the lack of meritocracy in the police circles, but later withdraw his resignation.

 

Tags: crime news persuit killed police officers funeral
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