- Police-related shootings in North Rhine-Westphalia – inquiries are being conducted
Following another lethal law enforcement engagement in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Dortmund murder squad is probing the event in Recklinghausen due to impartiality concerns. A 33-year-old individual was said to be causing a stir in a multi-family dwelling on Wednesday evening, as per reports from Dortmund police and the Bochum public prosecutor's office. Witnesses claimed he was also carrying a knife.
Upon arriving at the scene, the authorities reportedly confronted a perilous situation: "As a result, a police officer discharged their weapon at the 33-year-old." He sustained fatal wounds. The number of officers involved, the number of shots fired, and the number of weapons deployed are still under investigation.
Merely a day prior to the Recklinghausen incident, a man was fatally shot by police in Moers, on the Lower Rhine. The 26-year-old German man, who was reportedly gravely mentally unstable, supposedly charged at the officers with two knives in hand, prompting them to open fire. Prior to this, multiple emergency calls had been received reporting that the man had assaulted and threatened several bystanders.
Events from the Same Day
Earlier that Wednesday morning, police in Recklinghausen responded to a knife-related incident. A 49-year-old man is said to have injured a 53-year-old man in the hallway of a multi-family dwelling. The presumed weapon was swiftly secured. The victim was transported to the hospital by ambulance, while the other man was apprehended.
In Dorsten, a man was stabbed during an argument with an opponent. A knife was presumably used in this altercation on Wednesday evening, according to a police spokesperson. The suspect fled, and the wounded man was discovered on a street in the old town district. Despite continued efforts, the suspected knife attacker could not be apprehended until the following morning.
Increase in Knife-Related Violence
Knife violence in public spaces in North Rhine-Westphalia has seen a substantial surge, rising by approximately 43% to 3,540 recorded instances last year. Nine of these are categorized as assaults. The suspected Islamist-inspired attack in Solingen last Friday, which saw a 26-year-old Syrian man allegedly kill three people and injure eight others with a knife, has sparked widespread concern and high-level political discussions about potential repercussions.
In the aftermath of the Solingen attack, the federal government is considering further tightening gun control laws. If Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has her way, knives in public will only be permitted to have blades up to six centimeters long, instead of the current twelve centimeters. There will also be a general prohibition on carrying hazardous switchblades.
The Dortmund murder squad is scrutinizing the use of small arms in the Recklinghausen event due to impartiality concerns, as a police officer discharged their weapon at a suspect who was reportedly carrying a knife. Despite the increase in knife-related violence in North Rhine-Westphalia, the federal government is contemplating stricter knife control measures.
