Petersburg court sentences axe attacker of traffic inspector

The Kirovsky District Court of St. Petersburg delivered a guilty verdict in the case of the attack on a traffic police inspector. Andrei Kurnikov was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison to be served in a standard-regime penal colony.

Early in the morning of July 18, 2024, an attack occurred on a traffic patrol service inspector on Novatorov Boulevard in St. Petersburg. Andrei Kurnikov, who was in a parked Ford Focus car, struck the traffic police inspector several times on the head with an axe and his hand. The inspector had previously demanded that the driver undergo a medical examination for intoxication and did not allow him to flee the scene.

During the attack, the inspector tried to defend himself using physical force. To prevent blows to vital organs, he placed his right forearm under the axe.

Kurnikov«s behavior during detention was defiant. He ignored the questions and demands of two traffic police officers, instead inquiring about the personal data of one of them, such as age, place of birth, and upbringing. The man shouted loudly and called for help, and when trying to loosen the handcuffs, he intensified his cries.

In court, Andrei Kurnikov did not admit guilt. Despite this, the Kirovsky District Court found him guilty and imposed a sentence of 4.5 years in prison to be served in a standard-regime correctional colony.