The death of a Lazio fan by police gunfire on Sunday created a state of panic all over Italy, leading to the postponement of several Serie A games as well. Gabriele Sandri, 26, was shot to death by a policeman in Tuscany as the latter was trying to contain a brawl between Lazio and Juventus fans in a motorway station. The unidentified police officer, who is currently being investigated, was shocked after his unintentional error led to a disaster. "I didn't point it at anything, I didn't aim at anybody," he told Corriere della Sera. "The first shot I fired into the air and the second left me while I was running. Now I have destroyed two families, the man's and mine." The tragic incident generated a series of outcomes that overshadowed the score lines of five matches in an abnormal Serie A day. "In the locker room, the feeling was different, It didn't feel like an important game. Everyone was asking if it was right to play or not," Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri said amid his side's 2-2 draw with Parma. Inter Milan's game with Lazio was cancelled, so was the game between Roma and Cagliari, while the Atalanta- AC Milan game was postponed for other reasons. Fans Riot Sandri's death also resulted in unrest between Italian supporters in general and police, as hundreds of protesting fans rioted in Rome, hours after the incident. The furious fans attacked a police station near the Stadio Olimpico, smashing windows and setting a police vehicle on fire in the process. The enraged contingent, who included many armed fans, used trash bins to block one end of a bridge above River Tiber. More anger towards police also emerged in Milan and Siena, where stations were attacked and fans shouted 'murderers' at policemen. The tension between policemen and fans continues as last year an officer was killed in a melee between Catania and Palermo fans in the Sicilian derby. Atalanta Statement More shameful events took place prior to the game between Atalanta and Milan at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, Bergamo. The home fans sounded their rage over the death of Sandri as they smashed the stadium's safety glass and threatened for further action if the game was played. Consequently, the game was abandoned, but Atalanta issued a statement promising to take legal action against the fans' act, which may cost the home side the three points. "The club have started to seek legal advice to pursue action against those responsible for criminal activities during the game between Atalanta and Milan," an official statement from Atalanta read. "We would like to stress that in the course of the next few days every possible action will be taken to ensure that these events are not repeated." Italian FA officials will meet on Monday to discuss on the violent events which hit the football fanatic nation. It is also expected that decisions will be made regarding the matches that were not played on Sunday.
