Parma, attempts to run over two Municipal Police officers in via D'Azeglio to escape.

On Saturday morning, a routine check by the Municipal Police in via D'Azeglio, in Parma, almost turned into a tragedy. A 38-year-old man, stopped by the officers, suddenly got into his car, put the car in reverse and then drove off, trying to run over the two policemen. Only the promptness of the driver of a bus, who happened to be traveling in the opposite lane, prevented the worst: the public transport, in fact, blocked the escape car's path, preventing it from continuing its dangerous action.

At that point, the two officers managed to block the driver, not without difficulty. The man reacted violently, forcing the officers to fight to immobilize him. Only with the intervention of other colleagues was the 38-year-old finally handcuffed and taken to the police station. According to initial reconstructions, the arrested man initially received a check for illegal parking. After being identified, he climbed back into the vehicle and attempted to run over one of the officers, who was dragged for a few meters on the hood of the car before the intervention of the bus blocked his journey.

The man was arrested on suspicion of resisting a public official and aggravated injuries.

The reactions of politicians

The episode immediately sparked strong reactions in the local political debate. Laura Cavandoli, member of the League and party group leader in the City Council, expressed concern for the safety of the city and the operational condition of the Municipal Police: “The ugly episode this afternoon in via D'Azeglio tells a lot about a city that is not the one the mayor and the council want to paint. I express my closeness to the brave local police officers who faced a criminal ready to run them over without scruples. Only the promptness of the bus driver avoided the worst. This episode shows that we need more security in the city, greater training for the officers and the immediate provision of the Taser, which the League has been asking for years"Cavandoli's statement is part of a broader debate on urban security, with the center-right having long denounced an alleged lack of adequate measures to combat crime and violence.

On the other hand, the Democratic Party, through the voice of the group leader in the City Council Sandro Campanini, he underlined the professionalism demonstrated by the agents and rejected any attempt to exploit the incident for political purposes: “The Municipal Police officers acted with a great sense of duty and professionalism in an unexpected and dangerous situation. Their timely intervention demonstrates the local police's ability to act in protecting public safety. I hope that this incident will not be exploited to paint Parma as an unsafe city. On the contrary, the episode demonstrates that the protection of the streets is concrete and produces positive results".

The incident has inevitably sparked debate among citizens, amplified by the spread of a video taken by a passerby, which quickly went viral on social media. The images clearly show the man trying to escape by hitting the officers, the moment of impact and the subsequent intervention of the Municipal Police to immobilize him. While some citizens say they are concerned about safety and are calling for increased control measures, others emphasize how the effectiveness of the Municipal Police's response demonstrates that the urban security system is working. It now remains to be seen what measures will be taken against the arrested man and whether the episode will lead to new measures to strengthen public safety. In the meantime, the city remains divided between those who call for a tightening of control policies and those who, instead, reiterate the need to avoid alarmism and recognize the work done by law enforcement.