Penza, 1 April 2014. PenzaNews. Criminal case under Art. 317 of the Criminal Code “Attempt to kill law enforcement officer” was filed against a 29- year-old man who ran over the officer of the interdistrict department of the Federal Drug Control Service in the Penza region Rafael Melzetdinov, the officer died on the spot.

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“According to the investigators, in the evening on March 30, 2014 the suspect being caught by the officers of the regional drug control service at the scene of illegal actions in Kuznetsk, ran over the officer using his car “Nissan Pathfinder.” The officer died of the received injuries on the spot,” the Senior Assistant of the Head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Penza, Media relations, Lyudmila Fomina told news agency “PenzaNews.”

She explained that currently, a complex of operational activities is held to establish all the circumstances of the incident.

“The suspect was detained, the witnesses are interrogated, a number of tests will be held. In the nearest future, the criminal cases involving illicit trafficking of drugs and the attempt ot kill a law enforcement officer will be joined in one proceeding and submitted to the department for investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Penza region,” the agency interlocutor added.

As news agency “PenzaNews» reported earlier, the operational group, which included the deceased Rafael Melzetdinov, was on a mission to detain persons suspected of wholesale and retail sales of synthetic drugs.

Trying to escape, the drug dealers ran over two officers using their car “Nissan Pathfinder.” One of the officers, despite the injuries, recovered quickly and opened fire from his service weapon, but the criminals managed to escape.

The driver of the car was arrested the next day in Pioner village.

Rafael Melzetdinov passed away leaving his wife and two minor sons.