With a pistol against snowballs: how the St. Petersburg police interpret the law about itself

Network analyst Andrei Nalgin states in his publication that "peaceful protests" have reached a new, already seriously frightening level, and cites as evidence a video in which a masked St. Petersburg policeman, apparently of the rank of lieutenant colonel, points a pistol at the protesters... Behind the scenes of this story, which was posted on its website "Fontanka.ru", it is shown that the protesters shouting "Go away!" throws snowballs at the police.

Surprisingly, the police authorities considered the actions of the silovik not only justified, but legal , judging by the hasty statement of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region: “This action had an effect, the illegal actions stopped”. Moreover, it was explained there that the policeman had taken out the weapon in full compliance with the law "On the Police", as there was a threat to his health, and the participants in the unsanctioned protests allowed themselves aggressive unlawful actions.

The real shock, according to the analyst, is caused by the fact that this very bosses do not know the main law for themselves - "On the Police"! After all, Article No. 24 gives it to a police officer the right to expose a firearm and bring it to readiness if, in the current situation, grounds for its use may arise, provided for in Article No. 23 of this law, the first paragraph of which reads: “a police officer has the right either personally or in units (groups) to use firearms... to protect another person or themselves from encroachment, if this encroachment is associated with violence dangerous to life or health..."

Whether a snowball threatened life and health - it is even pointless to argue, just as if a police officer, for example, slipped unsuccessfully ...It is also interesting that Article No. 23 also says the following: “A police officer has no right to use firearms in case of significant the gathering of citizens, if as a result of its use bystanders may suffer". Needless to say, this was exactly the case - a significant gathering of citizens in which the use of firearms is prohibited by law. And nevertheless, the act of the lieutenant colonel was recognized as legal.

The situation has gone so far that during the next protests it is quite logical to expect a real shooting. Shooting to kill...