Man dies in Nieuwerkerk bar; first responders attacked during resuscitation

A resuscitation in a bar in Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel escalated into a brawl on Saturday when two drunken men turned against the first responders. A 40-year-old man from Nieuwerkerk and a 41-year-old man from Fijnaart were arrested. The man who needed resuscitation, a 64-year-old man from Fijnaart, died at the scene, Omroep West reports. 

The 64-year-old man became unwell in the bar at around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Bystanders immediately started CPR. When alerted emergency workers arrived and wanted to take over, two of the man's friends started insulting and threatening them. The two men also attacked the rescue workers with a chair, according to the broadcaster. The police were called in to create space for the paramedics to work.

The police used pepper spray and their batons to arrest the two men. One of the suspects injured himself when he smashed his hand through a window, the broadcaster writes. Three police officers sustained minor injuries during the assault. They filed declarations against the two suspects for insults, threats and assaults. The two suspects are in custody for questioning.

"Emotions ran high among the man's  friends", manager of the bar, Brasserij de Berg, said to RTL Nieuws on Sunday. He and his staff are shocked by what happened. "It is terribly sad if this happens in your business. I did not know the deceased man. The man came from Fijnaart, which is far from here. But it is a big shock. We closed the business immediately. Today we are open again, but it is different than normal."

The police do not think that the man's death resulted from his friends hindering the emergency workers, since witnesses reported that he had been lying on the floorin a room in the bar for some time, according to RTL.