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Swiss authorities have launched a criminal inquiry following the death of a man of African origin who collapsed while in police custody in Lausanne, less than an hour after his arrest on Sunday night.
The Vaud regional Public Prosecutor’s Office said officers had stopped the 39-year-old man at approximately 9:00 pm in the city centre over suspected drug-related activity. His exact nationality remains unconfirmed.
According to officials, the man fled from the police but was apprehended after a struggle. Once detained, he was taken to a police station for questioning. Shortly after arrival, he became unwell and died just before 10:00 pm, despite attempts by emergency services to resuscitate him.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding his death. Forensic experts, including pathologists and crime scene specialists, are assisting with the probe, and an autopsy has been ordered.
This incident adds to growing scrutiny over policing practices in the canton of Vaud. According to Swiss news agency Keystone-ATS, the region has seen four other deaths of Black men following police interventions between 2016 and 2021, prompting protests and accusations of racism and police brutality.
One of the most prominent cases was that of Mike Ben Peter, also 39, who died in 2018 after a violent encounter with six officers during a failed drug search near Lausanne’s main railway station. He suffered a heart attack after being forcibly restrained and died in hospital hours later.
While the case initially garnered little attention, it was revisited following global protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd in the United States in 2020. Last year, a regional appeals court upheld the acquittal of the officers involved in Ben Peter’s case, who had been charged with negligent homicide.
Two other fatal encounters involving police in Vaud were deemed acts of self-defence, while a fourth case remains unresolved.
