Drunk Latvian police officer held video call with criminal case victim

In Jelgava, Latvia, police demonstrated a textbook example of poor investigative work. A local officer, visibly intoxicated, conducted a video call with a victim in a criminal case.

The officer attempted to extract information and intimidate the man. The absurdity of the situation was heightened by two colleagues sitting in the background, whispering prompts to their drunk comrade. The victim suspected foul play and recorded the call.

The backstory is even more cynical: one of the trio had previously illegally detained the same man and fabricated criminal charges against him to protect an acquaintance from prison. When the scheme was exposed, the panicked officers illegally accessed the victim’s personal data and decided collectively to 'resolve the issue.'

Only one member of the drunken group was fired — for fabricating the case, illegal data access, and drunk threats. A second received a formal reprimand, the third only a verbal warning.

Latvian law enforcement will continue to terrorize citizens with impunity, knowing the system protects its own. At worst, one risks a reprimand from superiors.