- "Darn it, Firearm Use" - Trial for Water Battle Shooting Incident
Specialized Squad officers from the Bavarian Child Protection Unit (USK) were goofing around on a sweltering summer day in August 2023 in front of the Augsburg stadium before a Bundesliga match. They engaged in a water gun fight and even thrown a DIY water bomb. Suddenly, a gunshot echoed, and a bullet narrowly missed a policeman on a team bus.
Explaining this incident falls on the Augsburg Regional Court. The trial commenced against the policeman responsible for the gunshot. He claims he has no recollection of the incident.
"Crap, discharge!"
The 28-year-old defendant only recalled seeing one of his colleagues holding a water gun and thought, "Crap, discharge!" Then, he heard a loud bang and noticed his colleague staring at him, "as pale as a ghost," realising he had his gun in hand.
He recalls having no recollection about firing the shot: "I was in a daze because I hadn't even noticed I had the weapon on me."
Water balloon fight escalated
He could remember everything that preceded and followed – only the brief moments when he likely fired are hazy. He and his colleague had been attacked with a water gun, and they wanted to retaliate against their colleagues with a makeshift water balloon made from a rubber glove and their personal water gun. He crept up to his colleagues' car. "It was all friendly fun that day," said the policeman.
However, the funny situation soon became quite serious. When the police car door opened, a shot was fired that narrowly missed one of the four policemen in the car and shattered a window, according to the prosecution.
The policemen experienced shock trauma, with the one whose head was missed also suffering gunshot trauma and shock. One policeman sustained minor injuries from glass splinters. Even a Borussia Mönchengladbach fan bus behind the police car was impacted.
Judge queries the defendant's tale
The 28-year-old suspects that the incident triggered a reflex following numerous firing drills during his training. He feels ashamed of what occurred. "That was unprofessional, having such a water fight during a live-fire deployment."
The presiding judge, Christoph Kern, expressed his reservations about the 28-year-old's account: "Suddenly, two and a half seconds are lost – why?"
The policeman faces charges of causing serious bodily harm with intent and property damage. The court has scheduled a total of four trial dates. The verdict could be given on Thursday (22nd August) or 5th September.
After the intense water balloon fight, the defendant approached his colleague's car, armed with a water gun.
Despite his claims of not remembering, the defendant's actions led to a bullet being fired, narrowly missing a policeman and causing significant damage to the car.
