Greek policeman guilty of murder in teen death

[October 11, 2010]  ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- A Greek policeman was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for the shooting of a teenager in central Athens that sparked nationwide riots in 2008.

In a 4-3 verdict, a panel of Greek judges and jurors found Epaminondas Korkoneas guilty of intentionally shooting 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Dec. 6, 2008, in the central Athens district of Exarchia, an area of bars and cafes popular with self-styled anarchists.

A second policeman, Vassilis Saraliotis, was convicted of complicity and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Both are expected to appeal.

Grigoropoulos' death led to the worst civil unrest Greece had seen in decades, with youths rampaging through cities almost nightly for two weeks, torching cars and buildings, smashing windows, looting stores and clashing with riot police.

Smaller scale riots also broke out last December, on the anniversary of Grigoropoulos' death.

The teenager's killing led to a resurgence of anarchist attacks, mostly focusing on police and government targets.

Two of the three judges and one of the four jurors voted Monday for Korkoneas to be found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter with possible intent, which would have carried a lighter sentence.

Korkoneas had insisted the boy was killed inadvertently by a ricochet when the policeman fired a warning shot following an altercation with youths during a night patrol in Exarchia.

The trial was held in Amfissa, about 120 miles (200 kilometers) west of Athens, for security reasons due to fears the procedure could lead to more rioting.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.