Death of a young refugee - Interviews: Police officer justifies fatal police shooting
A suspended police officer, charged with manslaughter in Dortmund, pleads for understanding in multiple interviews about fatal shooting of a 16-year-old refugee. "Shit, that it had come to this", the 30-year-old told "Spiegel". He is convinced he had no other choice in the situation.
"I can't imagine that a colleague would have been injured or killed, who relies on me to secure him. I would never forgive myself", the defendant further stated. Both "WDR" and "Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" published similar statements from a conversation with the police officer on Thursday.
Several shots from a machine pistol
Since late December, the suspended police officer has been standing trial at the Dortmund Regional Court for the suspicion of manslaughter. He is accused of firing several shots from a machine pistol at the 16-year-old refugee Mouhamed Drame in the courtyard of a youth welfare institution in 2020. He died in the hospital shortly after the incident.
The police were called to the youth welfare institution because the minor, who was holding a knife and had been motionless with it against himself in the courtyard and did not react to calls, was not responding.
Prosecution criticizes police conduct as disproportionate
Sitting on the defendant's bench are also two policewomen and another police officer, charged with bodily harm, as well as the incident commander for incitement to this. A policewoman initially tried to disarm the youth with pepper spray. When he approached the policewomen, they tried to stop him, as previously agreed with their superior, with a Taser before the shots were fired.
The prosecution has criticized the police conduct in its indictment as disproportionate. The use of pepper spray and the Taser was not the mildest means to obtain possession of the knife. The investigators did not see a situation of self-defense that would have justified the ultimately fatal intervention.
In the courtroom and in interviews: Police officer expresses regret but not remorse
In a statement before the court, the defendant expressed his regret and sympathy for the family of the victim at the end of May. He stated that the shots fell because the 16-year-old Senegalese, after being hit with pepper spray, had run towards the police officers with a knife in his hand at high speed. There was no time for a warning shot.
"I regret it, but I don't regret that I acted that way. Because, as I said, the alternative might have been worse. And my duty was to protect my colleagues", he explained to WDR. "I acted as I was trained", quoted by WAZ. No one wants to have to shoot.
"Life is not a movie", says the defendant
In the "Spiegel" interview, the 30-year-old stated that he had not initially considered the gunshot wounds to be life-threatening. Therefore, the 16-year-old was stabilized afterwards. "Even if someone has been shot, it doesn't mean they are incapacitated", so the police officer. "Life is not a movie, where someone is hit by a bullet and then instantly lies motionless."
"Later, he found out that the 16-year-old had died in the hospital. "That's unreal, one just can't believe that."
"They said I was a Murderer"
The day after the shootings 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 personally seen as an enemy or if it was rather the Institution Police that was meant. "My feelings were conflicting: It hurt me, at the same time I was angry. Nothing was known - and it was already being politically exploited. Considering that a person had died, I found that very difficult."
- Despite facing manslaughter charges in Germany, the suspended police officer voiced his regret about the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old refugee in Dortmund.
- During interviews with "Spiegel" and other media outlets, the police officer expressed that he believed he had no other choice in the situation.
- The police officer is currently standing trial at the Dortmund Regional Court for firing several shots from a machine pistol at a knife-wielding refugee named Mouhamed Drame in 2020, resulting in his death.
- The prosecutor's office criticized the police conduct as disproportionate, stating that the use of pepper spray and a Taser was not the mildest means to obtain possession of the knife.
- In the courtroom and in interviews, the police officer expressed regret but not remorse, explaining that he acted as he was trained and that the alternative could have been worse.
- After the shootings, a demonstration took place in front of the police station, with many accusing the officer of being a murderer and a racist, which he found hurtful and difficult to handle.
