Accused police officer talks about shooting at fugitive
The refugee Mohamed Dramé died in August 2022 from bullets of a machine pistol of a police officer in Dortmund. A trial against the involved officers is running in Dortmund court. Several defendants have defended their actions in court, now the shooter is speaking out.
A police officer, who currently stands trial at the Dortmund Regional Court for fatal shots on Mohamed Dramé, has spoken extensively in an interview with "Spiegel". The 30-year-old, who is charged with manslaughter, said: "Shit, that it had come to this." In a statement before the court, the suspended officer had previously expressed his remorse and sympathy to the victim's family.
The 30-year-old shot Dramé in the courtyard of a youth welfare facility in 2022 with a machine pistol, after the latter had held a knife to his own stomach. Also accused are the team leader, two policewomen and another police officer. In court, the 30-year-old testified that the shots fell because the 16-year-old Senegalese had run towards the police officers with a knife in hand at high speed. There was no time for a warning shot.
Before that, the refugee had threatened himself with a knife in the courtyard of a youth welfare facility. Two policemen had tried to disarm him with pepper spray. The Dortmund Regional Court must clarify why the initially assumed suicide attempt escalated.
In the "Spiegel" interview, the 30-year-old said he had not initially considered the gunshot wounds to be life-threatening. Therefore, the 16-year-old was subsequently immobilized. "Even if it sounds harsh: Because someone has been shot, it doesn't mean they are incapacitated," the police officer said. "Life is not a film where someone is hit by a bullet and immediately collapses."
Later, he learned that the 16-year-old had died in the hospital. "That was unreal, you can't believe it." He is convinced that he could not have acted differently in the situation. "I can't imagine that a colleague would have been injured or killed, relying on me to protect him. I would never have forgiven myself."
The day after the shooting, there was a demonstration in front of the police station. "They said I was a murderer and a racist. That hurt." He couldn't shake off whether he was seen as an enemy figure or if it was rather the Police institution that was meant. "My feelings were mixed: It hurt me, at the same time I was angry. I didn't know - and it was already being politically exploited. Considering that a person had died, I found that very difficult."
The investigation into the police violence incident in Dortmund, involving the fatal shooting of Mohamed Drame_, is being closely watched by North Rhine-Westphalia's authorities and the international community. The incident has sparked heated debates about police actions and use of force in such situations.
Despite facing charges of manslaughter, the 30-year-old police officer involved in the shooting maintains that he acted within the limits of his duty, stating, "I can't imagine that a colleague would have been injured or killed, relying on me to protect him."
The trial for the police officers involved in the incident is taking place in the Dortmund Regional Court, with several defendants defending their actions. However, the wider implications of the case, including the potential for reforms in police training and procedures, are being discussed at both local and international levels.
