Iraqi journalist killed in Baghdad altercation
Shafaq News/ Journalist Laith Mohammad Rida was killed in central Baghdad in a dispute with a suspect believed to be believed to be part of a government official’s security detail, a security source reported Wednesday.
The source told Shafaq News that the altercation escalated into gunfire, resulting in Rida's immediate death in the Al-Arsat area of Baghdad. The Baghdad Police Command issued a statement confirming that Rida’s death was the result of a criminal act and not an assassination.
A security source later told Shafaq News that an armed force had surrounded the suspect in the Abu Ghraib area, west of Baghdad. The suspect was reportedly accompanied by an injured individual, who was also involved in the altercation.
Shafaq News also obtained a video showing the moment of Rida’s death. According to an audio recording provided by an eyewitness, the driver had been speeding through an alley, and Rida stopped him, asking him to slow down due to the presence of children. The situation quickly escalated into a confrontation.
