Ján Mato

Lieutenant-im-memoriam
Born on April 2nd, 1963 - murdered on August 2nd, 2002, Prague

Warrant Officer Ján Mato (39), police inspector, Police station Prague, the Underground Department, was murdered when being on duty in the underground station "Muzeum" on Friday, August 2nd, 2002, short before 6:00 p. m. He died after he had decided to stand up to an armed dangerous criminal. The then Secretary of the Interior, Stanislav Gross, promoted Ján Mato to Lieutenant-im-memoriam and medaled him "Bravery Medal". The funeral took place in Strašnice Crematory, Prague, on August 13st. The Commissioner Lieutenant-General Jiří Kolář, D. C. L. and Prague Police representatives took part in.

A Russian speaking man is trying to drop an unidentified explosive into the railyard in the underground station when there is lots of people in the station. Having a knife fixed to a long rod, he stabs a seventy-four-year-old passanger, Milan Vítek, who suffers a serious injury. The policeman, Ján Mato, steps in. But the man attacks the policeman with his unusual weapon and the policeman suffers a serious chest injury consisting of a damage to vital organs. WO Ján Mato dies at the scene of crime.

The murderer short after being arrested

The murderer says his name is Alexandr Sarkisov but he is proved to be Alexandr Kručinin (49), coming from Moscow, which is approved by Russian Interpol photographs and his fingerprints. Kručinin has been living in the Czech Republic since 1996. He works as a builder's labourer. His wife committed a suicide in Moscow in 2001. His long-term stay was called off in March 2002 and he has been staying in the Czech Republic illegaly ever since. Kručinin said that "his life had ruined" which made him murder... On August 29th, 2002, in the afternoon, Alexandr Kručinin commits a suicide by hanging in the stockade.

The then Secretary of the Interior, Stanislav Gross himself, honoured the student Jaroslav Český (24), who participated in arresting of Alexandr Kručinin, for his personal and community courage with a present worth 5,000 Kč and the Police Plaquette. Milan Vítek (74) was honoured with the same plaquette too. He admonished Kručinin and was stabbed. Lieutenant-im-memoriam Ján Mato was single and childless. His parents were in receipt of compensation 100,000 Kč from the Department of Home Affairs.

© Miloslav Jedlička, D. C. L.
Translated by inspector WO Pavel Vršovský, M. A.