This morning in Satriano a ceremony full of emotions in memory of the chosen officer Renato Liovictim of duty, killed on the night of August 20, 1991, in the Russomanno locality of that municipality, while executing a checkpoint during a patrol service.
Cursed night
That night, the patrol of the Nucleo Radiomobile of the Carabinieri Company of Soverato, made up of the officers Renato Lio and Francesco Baita, was engaged in checking a car with three people on board, which had arrived at high speed. During the search, one of the three (a dangerous offender), after pushing the carabiniere, took possession of a pistol hidden under the seat of the car and, despite being blocked with determination and courage by the officer Lio, fired three pistol shots point-blank against the military to escape control and escape. Wounded, Lio continued to face him, until, exhausted, he fell to the ground. The criminal also opened fire on the pinned Baita who, in the meantime, had positioned himself in the center of the road to respond with the supplied weapon. The offender, having run out of ammunition, took possession of Lio’s pistol and resumed shooting at Baita. The criminal then reached the service car radio, seized a machine pistol and, getting back into his car, together with the other two subjects, set off again at high speed.
The killer was caught after a manhunt. Meanwhile, the two accomplices, two cousins with a criminal record, had turned themselves in to the carabinieri, demonstrating their non-involvement in the murder of the soldier.
The sacrifice of the Appuntato Lio, the umpteenth blood contribution of the Arma for the affirmation of justice, is remembered in the motivation of the Gold Medal for civil valor in memory granted to the graduate: «Crew chief of a Nucleo Radiomobile patrol, while he was preparing, together with another graduate, to check the occupants of a car, he was suddenly hit by numerous gunshots. Although seriously injured, he engaged in a violent scuffle with the criminal from which he gave up when he, now without strength, collapsed to the ground. A splendid example of a very high sense of duty pushed to the extreme sacrifice. Soverato (Catanzaro), 20 August 1991».