List of killings by law enforcement officers in Poland

This is a list of people killed by non-military law enforcement officers in Poland, both on duty and off, and regardless of reason or method. Inclusion in the lists implies neither wrongdoing nor justification on the part of the person killed or the officer involved; the listing merely documents the occurrence of a death.

Since 1990

Date Name (age)
of deceased 		Place Voivodeship Description
2025-07-31 N.N. (45) Sosnowiec Silesian Voivodeship Police responded to reports of a man with a machete damaging parked cars and a bus. He was shot five times, and died in hospital. It was later revealed that he was actually holding a metal pipe.[1]
2024-11-23 N.N. (35) Warsaw Masovian Voivodeship While responding to a report of an aggressive man wielding a machete, a junior officer shot his colleague, who died in hospital.[2]
2021-12-16 Tomasz N. Wydminy Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship Police officer Mateusz C. shot a drunk man resisting arrest at very close range, killing him. Another officer was injured after the bullet passed through the man's body and struck her wrist. Mateusz C. was fired and given a one-year suspended prison sentence.[3]
2021-04-19 Łukasz P. (36) Ruda Śląska Silesian Voivodeship Police officers shot dead man after he rammed three police cars and aimed at the officers with a gun.[4]
2020-12-22 N.N. (32) Płock Masovian Voivodeship Police officers used tear gas against an aggressively behaving driver, who later died in a hospital.[5]
2020-06-27 Dariusz Nawara (28) Kościelisko Lesser Poland Voivodeship Police officer shot dead man accused of robbery.[6]
2020-06-18 N.N. (31) Żyrardów Masovian Voivodeship Police officer shot dead woman who attacked him with knife after stabbing a man.[7]
2019-11-14 Adam Czerniejewski (21)[8] Konin Greater Poland Voivodeship Police officer shot dead man who tried to escape from identity check. He was armed with scissors.[9][10]
2019-07-26 N.N. (30) Lipsko Masovian Voivodeship Police officer shot and killed man who attacked him with knife.[11]
2018-07-21 N.N. Olsztyn Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship Police officer shot seven times drunk man who tried to escape from police. He died the next day in hospital. The officer was criminally charged.[12]
2018-05-23 N.N. (43) Opole Opole Voivodeship Police officer shot dead man armed with pneumatic gun who was vandalizing a police car.[13]
2017-12-15 Adrian Z. Kraków Lesser Poland Voivodeship Counter-terrorism officer fatally shot a gangster during arrest[14]
2017-12-02 N.N. (42) Wisznia Mała Lower Silesian Voivodeship Police officers shot dead man who opened machine gun fire on them, which killed an officer and wounded three others.[15]
2017-06-21 N.N Milicz Lower Silesian Voivodeship Two men broke into a gas station and stole cigarettes in Dobrzyca, Greater Poland Voivodeship. They then crossed the border into Lower Silesian Voivodeship while being pursued on foot by police through a forest. One of the thieves shot a police officer in the neck; the shooter was then shot in the leg and died of his wounds at the scene.[16][17]
2016-12-31 Cezary S. Żychlin Łódź Voivodeship Police officer Łukasz M. killed a trader of cigarettes and alcohol Cezary S. with six gunshots, to whom he owed 20,000 PLN[18]
2016-08-12 Cezary S. Szczecin West Pomeranian Voivodeship Police officer shot dead man who tried to escape from road check. He was sentenced to one and a half years in prison in 2019[19]
2016-05-15 Igor Stachowiak (26) Wrocław Lower Silesian Voivodeship Igor Stachowiak was tased multiple times by four police officers, which may have caused his death. The officers were sentenced to from 2 to 2.5 years in prison in 2019[20]
2015-12-21 N.N. Gdynia Pomeranian Voivodeship A man was shot after he opened fire on police officers that entered his apartment while carrying out an arrest warrant. He was wanted in connection to a murder.[21]
2015-05-02 Dawid D. (27) Knurów Silesian Voivodeship Pseudo-fan died after being shot with rubber bullet during riots after football match. Police officer who killed him was later cleared of charges[22]
2014-12-15 N.N. Sosnowiec Silesian Voivodeship Police officer shot dead man who robbed the bank[23]
2014-07-14 N.N. (56) Ruda Śląska Silesian Voivodeship Police officers shot an aggressively behaving psychiatric hospital patient in the thigh and torso. He died later on the operating table[24]
2011-01-15 Andrzej Swoszowski (28) Tuchów Lesser Poland Voivodeship Police officers opened fire at a stolen car[25]
2010-10-10 N.N. (69) Żar Silesian Voivodeship, Police officers shot dead man who opened fire on them[26]
2010-05-24 Maxwell Itoya Warsaw Masovian Voivodeship Maxwell Itoya died after being shot when trying to talk to the policeman[27]
2009-10-16 Krzysztof K. Duszniki Greater Poland Voivodeship Man died after shootout with police[28]
2009-06-13 Grzegorz P. Borucza Masovian Voivodeship Police officer shot dead a mentally ill man who attacked him with a knife. He was later cleared of charges.[29]
2006-07-27 Marcin K. (21) Chodel Lublin Voivodeship Motorcyclist was shot ten times after failed to stop for a security check. He died from spine wounds[30]
2004-10-09 N.N. Kutno Łódź Voivodeship Police officers shot dead gangster during arrest[31]
2004-05-08 Monika Kelm (23) Łódź Łódź Voivodeship Police shot dead two people during riots[32]
Damian Tybura (19)
2004-04-29 Łukasz T. (19) Poznań Greater Poland Voivodeship Police officers opened fire at car which failed to stop for a security check.[33]
2003-06-13 Józef Ł. Zielona Góra Lubusz Voivodeship Police officers shot dead gangster who was trying to steal his gun[34]
2003-01-21 Piotr R. Warsaw Masovian Voivodeship Two gangsters were killed in shootout with police.[35]
Krzysztof M.
2002-08-06 N.N. (37) Wola Podłężna Greater Poland Voivodeship Man was killed in shootout with police after he shot them with shotgun[36]
2002-06-22 N.N. Tomaszów Lubelski Lublin Voivodeship Man was killed in shootout with police after trying to rob bureau de change with gas weapon[37]
2001-01-28 Sierhij K. Świdnik Lublin Voivodeship He was shot dead after he didn't stop for security check[38]
2000-06-23 N.N. Głogów Lower Silesian Voivodeship Police officers shot dead man who opened fire on them[39]
2000-03-14 Ryszard Karczewski Warsaw Masovian Voivodeship Police officer mistakenly shot and killed a vet while trying to catch tiger that escaped from a circus.[40]
2000-01-08 Krzysztof P. (26) Warsaw Masovian Voivodeship Police officers shot dead car thief[41]
1999-10-15 Valeri Bermes (34) Kraków Lesser Poland Voivodeship Anti-terrorist units killed gangster after he opened fire on them[42]
1999-06-16 Michał Filipek (23) Sosnowiec Silesian Voivodeship He was killed by four police officers who have beaten him with batons. Three of them were later sentenced to years in prison.[43]
1998-01-10 Przemysław Czaja (13) Słupsk Słupsk Voivodeship (now part of Pomeranian Voivodeship) During the 1998 Słupsk street riots, police officer caught up to a member of the group crossing the street on red light, the 13-year-old Przemysław Czaja, and repeatedly hit his head and neck using his baton. At 8:20 p.m. the boy died.[44]
1997-03-09 Robert R. (25) Warsaw Warsaw Voivodeship (now part of Masovian Voivodeship) Police officer was trying to catch a criminal. He shot his firearm into the air which alarmed men who approached him while carrying baseball bats. He shot two of them dead and injured third. In 1999 he was sentenced for years in prison, however he was pardoned by president Aleksander Kwaśniewski in 2002.[45][46]
Stanisław Ż. (54)
1997-01-06 Robert J. (19) Łomazy Biała Podlaska Voivodeship (now part of Lublin Voivodeship) Police officer shot dead man during interrogation at the police station. He was later sentenced for 15 years in prison[47]

1945–1990

Date Name (age)
of deceased 		Description
1984-10-19 Jerzy Popiełuszko (37) He was beaten to death by three Security Police officers.[48]
1982-10-13 Bogdan Włosik (20) Killed by an officer of the Security Service during a steelworkers' demonstration[49]
1981-12-17 Antoni Browarczyk (20) Shot in the head by a Milicja Obywatelska officer[50]
1981-12-16 Andrzej Pełka (19) Striking miners killed during the Pacification of the Wujek mine.[51]
Zenon Zając (31)
Zbigniew Wilk (30)
Bogusław Kopczak (28)
Ryszard Józef Gzik (35)
Józef Krzysztof Giza (24)
Joachim Józef Gnida (28)
Józef Czekalski (48)
Jan Stawisiński (21)
1970-12 Jerzy Matelski Killed during the December 1970 protests in Poland[52]
Józef Widerlik
Kazimierz Stojecki
Andrzej Peszyński
Stefan Mosiewicz
Kazimierz Zastawny
Bogdan Sypka
Zygmunt Polito
Zygmunt Gliniecki
Jerzy Kuchcik
Waldemar Zajczenko
Brunon Drywa
Stanisław Sieradzan
Zbigniew Godlewski
Ludwik Piernicki
Jan Kałużny
Zbigniew Wycichowski
Józef Pawiowski
Jan Polechoński
Zbigniew Nastały
Marian Wójcik
Stanisław Lewandowski
Janusz Żebrowski
Jerzy Skonieczka
Apolinary Formela
1970-12-18 Tadeusz Marian Sawicz (22) Shot in the head by a police officer while walking out of a milk bar[53]
1970-12-15 Waldemar Rebinin (26) Killed during the Polish protests of 1970[54]
1951-05-10 Józef Padewski (57) He was tortured to death by officers of the Ministry of Public Security of Poland
1947-05-04 Edward Cytrian Police officer shot dead boy in Mały Płock during an event.[55]

1918–1939

Date Name (age)
of deceased 		Description
1937 114 individuals According to speech of Prime Minister in Sejm in 1937[56]
1936 149 individuals 157 killed by police in 1936 totally
1936-03-23 Józef Cieślik Killed in the Semperit strike[57]
Jan Jędrygas
Janina Krasicka
Andrzej Proc
Jan Szwed
Jan Szybiak
Piotr Wrona
Antoni Żłobiński
1935 143 individuals
1934 118 individuals
1933 145 individuals
1932 141 individuals
1921-08-19 Stefan Cyburski (22) Killed during the 1921 Rawicz riots
Władysław Dąbrowicz (18)
Franciszek Robaszyński (23)
Wincenty Szukalski (37)
Kazimierz Szwarc (17)
Jan Tatarek (22)
Jan Tyca (26)
1920-04-26 Kazimierz Bogdaszewski Killed during 1920 Posen strike
Józef Dereziński
Stefan Domagała
Michał Dziembalski
Franciszek Krzyśko
Jan Mieloch
Marcin Ratajczak
Kazimierz Szkudlarek
Stanisław Tukaj

See also

References

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