Great dismay in Germany: Two young police officers were shot dead during a traffic check on Monday night in the Kusel district (Rhineland-Palatinate). The 24-year-old police officer and her 29-year-old colleague were able to send out a radio message at 4:20 a.m. with the words: “They’re shooting at us!” But then there is radio silence. When reinforcements arrive, the young policewoman is already dead. Her colleague died a little later.
After the fatal shots, a 38-year-old suspect from Saarland was arrested in the evening. The man from Spiesen-Elversberg in the Neunkirchen district had been noticed in the past for hit and run and is said to have a gun permit. Shortly thereafter, a second suspect was arrested. The search measures continued unabated because it could not be ruled out that there were accomplices, the security forces said.
A police spokesman said that more than 50 tips from the population had been received via the hotline alone. The executive checked suspects in several federal states, and apartments could also be searched.
Uniformed in civilian vehicle
The background to the crime is still unclear, but there were reports yesterday that the two police officers found dead game in a vehicle during the check. What is certain, however, is that both police officers were in uniform: they were in a civilian patrol car, but they wore a uniform and safety vests, a police spokeswoman in Kaiserslautern reported. It was initially unclear why they stopped the car. “A control point was not set up.”
German politicians reacted nationwide with horror. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) said: “Regardless of the motive behind the crime, this crime is reminiscent of an execution and it shows that police officers risk their lives every day for our security.”
Mourning flags in the country
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer and Interior Minister Roger Lewentz (both SPD) were “deeply shocked”: “Our thoughts are with the relatives,” said a statement by the two SPD politicians in Mainz. The Prime Minister ordered mourning flags in the country. Black ribbons are provided for all patrol cars in the country. Other federal states also followed this step for their police officers.
Source: Nachrichten
