A lawyer representing two police officers involved in the shooting and severe injury of a 20-year-old man said his clients categorically reject prosecutors’ allegation they acted with possible intent to kill, maintaining that they acted in the course of their duties.

The incident occurred during a police operation near the southern city of Argos after officers attempted to stop the 20-year-old driver, who allegedly failed to comply and fled. According to the prosecution’s account, one police officer fired multiple rounds, seriously wounding the suspect in the head. The officers have been charged with attempted homicide, while a judicial investigation is continuing to determine whether the use of lethal force was justified.

Defense lawyer Petros Koukoulis said the two officers dispute the term of “possible intent” underpinning the attempted murder charge and insist their actions were consistent with their operational responsibilities.

Representing the critically injured man’s mother, attorney Maria Sfetsou said the 20-year-old has a mild intellectual disability and was unarmed at the time of the incident.

“The young man has a mild intellectual disability and, according to his mother, he was carrying no weapon,” Sfetsou stressed, adding that the family is awaiting forensic and medical findings expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The case has reignited debate in Greece over police use of firearms against fleeing suspects.

In recent years, several high-profile incidents have drawn intense public scrutiny, including the fatal 2021 shooting of an 18-year-old gypsy (Roma) youth following a vehicle pursuit in west Thessaloniki, as well as the 2022 fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Roma teen after a chase linked to an alleged fuel theft, both of which prompted criminal investigations, protests and renewed calls for clearer rules governing police use of force.