Police officer in hospital after clashes with roma people in Sliven, 9 detained

Nine people were detained after clashes between roma people and police officers in Nadezhda district in the city of Sliven, South Bulgaria, the head of the local police in Sliven, Commissioner Dimitar Velichkov told journalists on 19^th of October. Four police officers were injured Three of them were discharged for home treatment. One is admiited to hospital with multiple injuries. His condition is stable and under medical supervision. He has a head injury and concussion.

The incident happened last night after two police teams responded to an alert for night-time noise r disturbance in the roma neighbourhood.

When the police arrived, they found about ten drunk people who refused to obey the police orders to stop the loud music.

In an attempt to detain two of the participants in the fight, more than a hundred roma people from nearby houses joined them and began to throw bottles, stones and jars with pickles at the police officers.

Early this morning, after a police operation in Nadezhda district, 9 participants in the fight were arrested, all having previous criminal records mainly for theft, and one of them for an l attack on official.

Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated and charges will be pressed.