In Memory of Hans Jakob Tønnesen 1963-2006

Happy smiles on a sad day. This morning I learned - from reading tne newspapers - that a very close friend of mine were shot and killed by police last summer. He had been suffering from mental illness for years and, apparently, had managed to scare a store-owner enough to call the police - and the policemen enough to shoot him. Very hard to comprehend - and incredibly awful to learn of this through the newspapers. The case has been brought up again as video-tapes from the store has revealed that he was being held down on the floor by police dogs when he was shot. Hardly a threatening position.

One of my fondest memories of him - and an important part of our shared mythology - is the evening in the summer of 1980 where we first got drunk. We wandered around in Copenhagen and, in the morning, fooled around at the Gefion Fountain at Langelinie. In great spirits we climbed through cascades of water to pinch the Gefion-womans breasts and then went to see Fellini's "La Città delle donne" - feeling incredibly adult and philosophical :-/

Unfortunately, I lost contact with him during the past few years. But he is sure missed...


Part of Family Life