After evacuation in Reutlingen - A real security guard in town hall ensured a large-scale operation
More than a week after the evacuation of Reutlinger Town Hall due to an armed suspect, it is now clear who the man was. The suspicious person was an employee of a security company, according to information from the police. He and a colleague had been hired by the city administration to empty the parking meters in the city's underground garages, and since they were transporting valuable items, he was armed.
There was a larger police operation at Reutlinger Town Hall a week ago on a Tuesday. An employee of the Town Hall reported at around 8:30 am that there was a man with a pistol in the building. The police therefore surrounded the building and searched for the man. The city administration employees had left the Town Hall in the meantime. On platform X, the police had called for the area around the Town Hall to be avoided.
No Uniform
"Since he wasn't wearing a uniform, he was not recognizable as an employee of the security company to the witnesses who saw him," the city stated. The man had been looking for another employee of the Town Hall and had gotten lost. His colleague was in the bathroom at the time.
The men had left the Town Hall before it was secured via the underground garage. Since the security guard realized that he himself was likely the cause of the large police operation, he confided in his superior. This superior then informed the police.
"I am relieved in hindsight that despite carrying a real weapon, there was never a danger to the employees of the Town Hall," wrote Oberburgermeister Thomas Keck (SPD) in an email to the staff.
- Despite the confusion caused by the armed suspect's non-uniform, the police were able to identify him as an employee of the security company responsible for the 'Great deployment' of emptying the parking meters in Baden-Württemberg's Town Hall in Reutlingen.
- Following the evacuation of the town hall, the police received information that the suspect had been involved in 'criminality' outside the building, which prompted a wider investigation in the area.
- The town hall authorities and the police held a joint press conference to address the incident, emphasizing the importance of clear identification of staff in such emergency situations to prevent miscommunication and possible escalation of situations.
