Appeal confirms acquittal of six police in Swiss 'George Floyd' case

Renens, Switzerland: A Swiss appeals court confirmed Monday the acquittal of six police officers charged over the death of a Nigerian man following a...

Renens, Switzerland: A Swiss appeals court confirmed Monday the acquittal of six police officers charged over the death of a Nigerian man following a heavy-handed arrest, in a case that drew comparisons to George Floyd.

As with the lower court verdict a year ago acquitting the officers of negligent homicide in the case of Mike Ben Peter, Monday's verdict sparked demonstrations outside the courthouse.

Around 80 people in front of the court in Renens, outside Lausanne in western Switzerland, chanted: "Black lives matter!", "Justice for Mike", and "Police kill, the judiciary acquits!"

Ben Peter, 39, died following a violent arrest after he refused a police drug search near Lausanne railway station in early 2018.

In the encounter with the six police officers, he was pinned to ground on his stomach. He died in hospital a few hours later after suffering a heart attack.