M. T., 50, a professional firefighter at the Knin Public Fire Station, has been held in pre-trial detention in Šibenik for two weeks. A criminal complaint has been filed against him for coercion of a police officer, relating to a physical assault committed during an incident at an Ine petrol station.
The incident occurred on 5 August 2026 at around 16.45. A police Skoda with four crew members, including a 49-year-old police officer from Šibenik, was at the scene. The officer was in an unmarked civilian vehicle and exited the car to prevent a breach of public order.
According to the facts, M. T. shouted at and pushed an 18-year-old before assaulting the police officer, punching him in the face and causing minor injuries. During the proceedings, M. T. presented a defence claiming he did not know the person involved in the altercation was a police officer in plain clothes.
Furthermore, M. T. claims the officer grabbed him, which he cites as part of the context leading to the escalation. Despite these assertions, the court has decided to keep the accused in pre-trial detention. M. T. is a professional firefighter whose conduct during the incident is being assessed as a criminal offence.
