A 24-year-old police student and a 29-year-old officer died on a routine patrol. Two suspects were arrested and the search for possible accomplices continues.
After the deadly shots at two young police officers in Rhineland-Palatinate, the executive arrested two suspects: A 38-year-old game dealer 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. A 32-year-old was also caught in Sulzbach, Saarland, a spokeswoman said on Monday. The search continued because other accomplices could not be ruled out.
The 24-year-old police candidate and the 29-year-old chief inspector were shot early Monday morning at around 4:20 a.m. during a traffic check on a district road in the Palatinate. According to information from security circles, the officials had previously reported by radio that dead game had been found in a vehicle. Later they reported “They are shooting”.
Police officer fired shots, colleague died instantly
The policeman is said to have fired several shots at the scene. It was initially unclear on Monday whether it was a warning shot or whether the officer injured a suspect. His colleague’s weapon was obviously not used, her pistol was still in its holster. According to the police, the young woman, who was still studying at the Police University, died immediately. The 29-year-old chief inspector from Kusel was initially still alive, but died when the rescue workers arrived, a police spokesman reported. “He was absolutely good,” said a colleague sadly. Both victims came from Saarland.
The two police officers were on a routine trip as a civilian patrol, but wore uniforms and safety vests, a spokeswoman for the Kaiserslautern police said. The deadly shots were fired at Kreisstraße 22 in Ulmet in the Kusel district in the western Palatinate. According to what was initially known about the course of events, the officers had probably approached the vehicle closer and had started checking when the shot was fired.
The police initially did not confirm that the two police officers were shot in the head. However, the protective vests reached from the hips to the neck, so this is likely. The police assumed that an autopsy would be ordered. It was initially unclear how many shots were fired in total. There was no trace of the perpetrators’ guns – and initially not of the getaway car either. It was not yet clear in which direction the perpetrator or perpetrators escaped.
“Every Stone Turned”
Traces were secured at the crime scene on Monday. “At the moment every stone is being turned on this street,” said the spokeswoman. A police spokesman said that more than 50 tips from the population had already been received via the hotline alone. The police are currently checking suspects in several federal states, and apartments can also be searched.
The police asked residents not to pick up hitchhikers in the Kusel district and in Saarland. The state chairwoman of the police union (GdP), Sabrina Kunz, appealed to the citizens in the Kaiserslautern area to refrain from meetings against Corona on Monday, out of consideration for the terrible act and the investigations, for which many forces would be needed.
Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer and Interior Minister Roger Lewentz said they were “deeply shocked” by the fatal shots. “Our thoughts are with the relatives,” said a statement from 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.
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.”
(APA/dpa)