SIGULDA - The Internal Security Bureau of the Latvian State Police has detained three police officers after a man died while in police custody.
The incident happened at the popular tourist destination of Sigulda, 50 kilometers from Riga.
The State Police's press service reported that the three officers were on duty at the town's police station when the man died.
An official autopsy has been ordered to identify the cause of the unnamed man's death.
The policemen concerned are aged 45, 48, and 49. All are long-serving officers. Riga's Police Department, which is responsible for the Sigulda district, admitted that the three detainees have previously been the recipients of commendations as well as disciplinary measures. The arrests were made on Wednesday 27 June.
A criminal investigation has been launched to establish if the officers exceeded their legitimate powers of arrest and detention, and in particular if they used violence against the deceased. If charged and found guilty, all three could face lengthy jail terms.
