An American accused of stabbing an Italian police officer to death claims he acted in self-defense, saying he thought he was being strangled, according to the Associated Press.
Italian authorities say Cerciello Rega was killed after he responded to reports of theft and an attempted drug deal involving the two Americans. The Carabinieri, the Italian military police force that Cerciello Rega served in, say the tourists confessed to Cerciello Rega's killing after their arrest Friday on suspicion of aggravated murder and attempted extortion.
Adding to the confusion, a detention order is cited by media outlets as saying that Natale Hjorth, who can understand Italian, confirmed that Rega identified himself as a Carabinieri officer. Natale Hjorth did not stab the officer, police said, instead punching the man's partner, who was not seriously injured. But anyone deemed to participate in a killing can be charged with murder in Italy.
The case has spawned dueling outrage over not only the killing but also over a leaked picture that circulated widely of Natale Hjorth blindfolded and handcuffed in police custody. The Italian paper La Repubblica called the image a "macabre exhibition" and an affront to "the constitutional principles and moral values that hold up our democracy."
The Post wrote Sunday: "The officer who blindfolded the suspect 'will be moved to a non-operational department,' an Italian-language news site stated, citing the Carabiniere. A police commander called Natale Hjorth's treatment 'unacceptable,' and police spokesman Roberto Riccardi told Repubblica that the photo circulating was 'twice intolerable' - 'intolerable in itself' and intolerable for the fact it was taken and shared.
Elder's lawyer would not tell the Times whether Elder, too, had been blindfolded. He said his client was under 24-hour watch.