Police violence in Stuttgart | Shot while running away

Following the fatal police operation in Stuttgart last Tuesday, new details have emerged. The Südwestrundfunk (SWR) broadcaster reports that a police officer may have shot a man who was fleeing. Such use of firearms is not legally permissible: The mere escape of a suspect is not considered sufficient grounds for the use of lethal force.

The basis for SWR's investigation is a video that the broadcaster has obtained and is currently being analyzed by the Baden-Württemberg State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA). The video initially shows a police officer with a drawn weapon and a flashlight shouting: "Police, put your hands behind your back!" A few seconds later, he can be heard saying: "... or I'll shoot." Then, a man can be seen jumping over a barrier. Shortly thereafter, a single shot is fired, and the victim collapses.

Investigators are now investigating whether the man moved away from the police officer. The goal is to determine whether the shooter considered an imminent danger that could justify the shooting. An eyewitness who contacted SWR reportedly observed the incident from close range. According to the report, a lone police officer returned to a courtyard where the suspect had not previously been found and suddenly shouted: "I've made contact!"

The fatally wounded man allegedly seriously injured a 29-year-old fellow countryman with a sharp object outside a sports bar in eastern Stuttgart a few minutes earlier. Initially, police assumed the man was 18 years old. This was recorded by the police during a check in North Rhine-Westphalia at the end of June. After the man's death, relatives presented documents that, according to the Stuttgart public prosecutor's office and the State Criminal Police Office, proved he was 29 years old.

Just the week before, a 27-year-old man was shot dead by police in Wangen, Göppingen district, after allegedly cutting an officer. In total, police have already shot 15 people this year, an exceptionally high number, six of them in Baden-Württemberg. The Berlin Campaign for Victims of Racist Police Violence (KOP) speaks of racism in connection with the two recent cases. "Perpetrators in uniform are almost never held accountable and convicted. And police murders are almost always covered up and trivialized," the group said in an Instagram post.

The investigation into the operation in Stuttgart is ongoing; the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office is responsible. The autopsy was conducted last week. A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office told "nd" that the decision regarding when the results will be released will be based on tactical considerations.