- Engaged in a Water Gun Feud Trial for Police Officers
In the trial concerning a bullet fired from his service gun, close to a Bundesliga game in Augsburg, the accused police officer asserts a sudden momentary lapse in memory. An excessive water fight between police mates outside the soccer stadium went awry, the 28-year-old detailed to the Augsburg Regional Court.
Water fight escalated
He and another officer were targeted with a water gun, prompting them to retaliate against their colleagues with an improvised water bomb made from a rubber glove and a personal water gun. He approached the colleagues' vehicle. "That day was all in good spirits," the police officer explained.
Good times turned into close call
However, these good times nearly turned into a near-disaster. As the police car door swung open, a bullet was fired, narrowly missing one of the four officers in the car and shattering a window, alleges the prosecution.
The officers endured shock, and the one whose head barely missed the bullet also suffered from gunshot trauma. A Borussia Mönchengladbach fan bus situated behind the police car was also struck by the bullet.
"Crap, under attack!"
He could willingly recall only one of the officers in the car brandishing a water gun and thinking, "Crap, under attack!" Then he heard a loud bang and witnessed a colleague in the car staring at him, pale and shocked, comprehending he possessed his weapon.
He couldn't recollect firing the bullet: "I didn't give it a second thought because I didn't even recognize I was holding the weapon."
Judge expresses reservations regarding the story
The 28-year-old presumed the circumstance might have stimulated an unconscious reflex following numerous shooting drills during his training. He was ashamed of the turn of events. "It was unacceptable, partaking in such a water game during a live-ammunition operation."
The presiding judge, Christoph Kern, voiced doubts regarding the 28-year-old's account: "What happened all of a sudden – why?" The trial has set three dates and a fourth is tentatively arranged. The verdict might be announced on the 22nd of August or the 5th of September.
The police officer found himself near his colleagues' vehicle, carrying an improvised water weapon.In the chaos of the water fight, the officer's service gun accidentally discharged, causing a close call for his colleagues.
