- Law enforcement officers utilize lethal force against individuals with mental health issues in a commercial establishment.
The woman who met her end in a Munich supermarket amidst numerous police gunshots was likely battling mental health issues. The 31-year-old had a history of peculiar behavior, and the Munich police had needed to hospitalize her on three separate occasions, as revealed by Andreas Franken, a spokesperson from Munich police headquarters. She was also well-known to the police due to her involvement in drug-related crimes. The exact state of her drug intake during the Monday shooting incident remains unverified. The investigation into her death involved an autopsy carried out on Tuesday.
Two law enforcement officers discharged their weapons, hitting the woman multiple times
On Monday evening at a supermarket in Sendling, the woman reportedly intimidated four male officers with a small kitchen knife she carried. Two of the officers responded by discharging their weapons, firing a total of four shots. The woman sustained multiple gunshot wounds and succumbed to her injuries at the scene. However, the police have yet to reveal the specific number of shots that hit the woman.
The Bavarian Criminal Investigation Office (LKA) and the public prosecutor's office are currently examining whether the use of force was legal. This is a standard procedure in such cases, as stated by the LKA spokesperson. The criminal investigation department has assumed control over the investigation into the accusations against the 31-year-old, having already interviewed witnesses and procured video footage as evidence.
A citizen had reached out to the police on Monday, sharing their concerns about an apparent injury they had witnessed at Goetheplatz and tracking the suspect onto the U-Bahn. The nature of the injury is still under investigation, but it is speculated that it stemmed from a confrontation involving the 31-year-old and a man.
The witness ultimately led the officers to the supermarket, where the 31-year-old unexpectedly brandished a knife and threatened the officers from a distance of a few meters, as detailed in the police report. Despite repeated requests to put down the knife, she refused to comply, and the officers ultimately utilized pepper spray before resorting to their weapons. "The situation was highly dynamic and evolved very quickly," commented Franken, the police spokesperson.
The woman's actions led to a confrontation in a supermarket located in the heart of Bavaria's city of Munich. After the incident, the investigation into her death was handled by the Bavarian Criminal Investigation Office (LKA).
