After the fatal shots at a 16-year-old, the Dortmund police have been criticized. Could the boy’s death have been prevented?
Dortmund – The 16-year-old from the police Dortmund was shot was said to have been in a psychiatric ward shortly before at his own request. In addition, the boy did not speak German and therefore could not understand the police officers, as reported by dpa. The teenager was armed with a knife. He was so badly injured by five shots from a submachine gun that he died during an emergency operation.
The police were called on Monday by supervisors from the youth welfare facility where the 16-year-old lived. So far it is unclear what the mentally disturbed youth wanted to do with the knife. The chief prosecutor spoke of suicidal intentions. However, the teenager is said to have attacked the police officers with a knife.
Police officer shoots 16-year-old with submachine gun – criticism of Dortmund police is growing
The operation escalated. The Dortmund police tried to stop the youth with a taser and tear gas, but the strategy didn’t work. Then a 29-year-old shot Police officer six times with a submachine gun on the 16-year-old. He was hit five times.
The police in Recklinghausen took over the investigation in order to maintain neutrality. The 29-year-old police officer is currently listed as a suspect. It is about the initial suspicion of bodily harm resulting in death. This procedure is common after fatal police operations.
Policeman shoots teenagers – exceptional psychological situation in the north of Dortmund
The police scientist, lawyer and criminologist Professor Dr. Thomas Feltes criticized the approach of the Dortmund police when used against the 16-year-old. “Why was a submachine gun used there? It’s incomprehensible at all,” he said in an interview German Press Agency (dpa). The MP5 is not standard police equipment NRW. Feltes explained that it is being upgraded for special situations, such as rampages, and not for operations against young people with mental disorders.
The police expert sees a problem in the behavior of the police due to the heavy armament. According to the scientist, this is “not exactly known for restraint” in the northern part of Dortmund. The officials are geared to solving problems immediately, instead of calling in a psychiatrist or psychologist, for example. In addition: The martial appearance of eleven police officers with automatic weapons could give a person the impression of an attack, especially if they do not understand German, he said dpa.
“A psychologist or psychiatrist should always be present on such missions,” said Feltes. He also criticized the attempts by the Dortmund police to defuse the situation with Tasers and pepper spray. Pepper spray in particular is difficult in exceptional psychological situations because in some cases it does not have the desired effect. This does not necessarily stop the mentally ill. “They perceive this as an unmotivated attack and launch a counterattack. It’s always the same pattern,” the police scientist explained.
Complaints after fatal shots: police are investigating police – and vice versa
Feltes is also critical of the fact that the case is now being investigated by another NRW police department: the current situation is that Dortmund is investigating Recklinghausen because someone died during an operation, and Recklinghausen is investigating Dortmund for the same reason. In Oer-Erkenschwick, a 39-year-old lost consciousness after a police operation and then died in the hospital. The police officers had previously sprayed and fixed the rioters with pepper spray. Feltes would like to solve such a situation in the future with his own position, for example in the State Criminal Police Office.
In addition, the German Lawyers’ Association (DAV) demands that there should be an independent complaints office – with independent police officers. Independent bodies should clarify whether police operations are lawful and clarify suspected legal violations. In addition, one should be able to complain anonymously about the police there.
The political pressure is also high: NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) was asked by the SPD parliamentary group to always inform Parliament about deadly police operations. There are many questions about the deadly shots in Dortmund. SPD Deputy Group Leader Elisabeth Müller-Witt asked opposite dpa: “How did the dangerous situation come about and what was the reason for carrying a submachine gun and using it with six shots?” So far, Parliament has had no knowledge of this.
Demonstration after the death of a 16-year-old in the north of Dortmund
There was a demonstration in Dortmund after the death of the 16-year-old. More than 300 demonstrators made sure that the small Kurt-Piehl-Platz in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene in the north of the city was crowded, an unannounced demonstration moved to the north police station.
Deadly shots fired by police officers are comparatively rare in Germany. In addition to the death of the 16-year-old in Dortmund, there were four other fatal shots in 2022, two of them in NRW. Just a few days ago a tenant in Cologne died during an eviction. He had previously threatened the bailiff.
Editor’s note: We don’t usually report on suicides, because unfortunately reporting increases the copycat rate. We make an exception when many people are affected, such as in this case when the railway line is closed. If you find yourself in a crisis situation, please seek help, for example from the telephone counseling service (Tel. 0800-1110111).