Outrage in Italy as Moroccan man dies after being pepper sprayed, pinned down and zip-tied by police while screaming 'help' in case likened to George Floyd

By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:36, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 11:48, 20 July 2026 Italy has erupted in fury following the death of a Moroccan man in police custody after police pepper sprayed him, pinned him and zip-tied him as he screamed for help.  In scenes eerily reminiscent of the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer in May 2020 in the city of Minneapolis, 42-year-old Abderrahim Fakir died in Bologna on Sunday.  Harrowing footage showed two police officers holding the man, who ran a small cleaning business in the city, down as he screamed in terror.  A third person, believed to be a resident of the Pilastro neighbourhood, was seen holding his feet down as the two police officers knelt on Fakir's back. Three other people stood by and watched.  Fakir was heard calling for help over and over again, panic rising in his voice.  Local media reported that cops used pepper spray on the man. At one point, the man was heard begging for water.   The struggle continued for several minutes, before Fakir's body goes limp.  Officers and a local resident were then seen tying the man's feet together.  Harrowing footage showed two police officers holding the man, who ran a small cleaning business in the city, down as he screamed in terror A third person, believed to be a resident of the Pilastro neighbourhood, was seen holding his feet down as the two police officers knelt on Fakir's back Local media reported that cops were called after he was seen shouting and behaving erratically. After authorities arrived, he allegedly struck a police vehicle.  According to local police, officers were called by residents who had 'reported an angry person... other residents assisted them in containing the individual after a car was damaged.' They added: 'After containment operations, which were carried out in the presence of paramedics, the man died.' Cops said bodycam footage of the incident will be made immediately available to judicial authorities.  It isn't currently clear how the man died. Some outlets have reported that Fakir suffered a severe asthma attack, while others have said he died of cardiac arrest.  Local prosecutors have ordered an autopsy to determine the man's cause of death.  As the investigation into Fakir's death continues, his family have spoken of their heartbreak and rage following the man's passing.  His sister Khadija told local media: 'I demand justice. I want revenge. I will never find peace until my brother gets justice. 'We don’t know what happened; we only received a phone call saying he was dead. They handcuffed him, and he died. They attacked him... and they beat him. There are witnesses.'  Fakir, who lived with his brother, had a history of minor criminal offences and suffered from underlying health conditions, according to his family.  Speaking of the officers involved in her brother's death, she said: 'If someone is agitated, you have to calm them down.' Local media reported that cops were called after he was seen shouting and behaving erratically It isn't currently clear how the man died. Some outlets have reported that Farik suffered a severe asthma attack, while others have said he died of cardiac arrest A joint statement from Bologna mayor Matteo Lepore and Michele De Pascale, the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, read: 'We are deeply shocked by what happened today at Pilastro.  'We express our closeness to the family of the deceased and to the entire neighbourhood community, who are experiencing hours of great pain and tension. It is essential that full light be shed on the facts.  'We trust in the work of the competent institutions to ensure that every circumstance is ascertained with the utmost speed, rigour, and transparency.'