Citizen Strikes Tax Service Employee with a Shovel, Then Damages a Vehicle

The Investigative Committee of Armenia reports that on July 7, 2020, around 14:15, officers of the Tax Committee's Operational Department traveled to the car wash in the Bagratashen settlement of the Tavush region in a Toyota Corolla to verify the legality of its operation. There, a resident of the community, ignoring the legal demands of the tax service employees, obstructed them in the performance of their official duties. Subsequently, using a shovel, he struck one of the officers on the right forearm, applying non-life-threatening violence. Then, with the intent to damage another's property, he continued to strike the aforementioned vehicle with the shovel, causing significant property damage.

A criminal case has been initiated in the Noyemberyan Investigative Division of the Tavush Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia under Article 316, part 1 (violence against a representative of authority) and Article 185, part 1 (intentional destruction or damage of property) of the Criminal Code. During the pre-trial investigation, the Bagratashen resident has been arrested on suspicion of using violence against a representative of authority and intentionally damaging someone else's property. The officer has been recognized as a victim, and forensic and investigative examinations have been appointed. The investigation is ongoing.