German law enforcement registers new record for killings

2025-01-11 05:31:12

(MENAFN) In 2024, German Police shot and killed 22 people, setting a new record for police-related fatalities in the country, according to a report by the news agency dpa. This marks more than double the number of deaths recorded in 2023, which saw 10 fatalities, and surpasses previous high years such as 1995 and 1999, which both had 19 deaths.

The majority of the fatal incidents involved individuals suffering from mental health crises, often armed with knives. One example involved a 31-year-old woman shot in a Munich supermarket, who had a history of encounters with law enforcement due to mental health and drug issues. The latest fatality occurred on December 31, 2024, in Grünsfeld, Baden-Württemberg, when a 38-year-old man who had stolen an excavator and injured officers was shot after a prolonged chase.

This increase in police shootings comes amid rising violence in German society, including a surge in violent crime, which reached a 15-year high in 2023 with over 214,000 cases. Jochen Kopelke, head of the German Police Union (GdP), suggested that the increase in fatal shootings might be a response to growing aggression against law enforcement officers.

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