A man already known to the authorities as dangerous refuses to vacate his apartment in Cologne, and the bailiff calls the police for help. Then the situation spirals out of control: the man pulls out a knife and the police shoot. The 48-year-old tenant did not survive the incident.
The police shot a man during the eviction of an apartment in Cologne. The dead man was the 48-year-old tenant of the premises, as the police and public prosecutor announced after the operation on Wednesday morning in the Ostheim district. According to the current investigation status, he had previously attacked police officers with a knife. After an "unsuccessful use" of pepper spray and the threat of firearms, the shooting finally took place. The man was fatally injured.
The 48-year-old had apparently previously been considered dangerous by the authorities. According to the police and prosecutors, he had previously made threats if an eviction took place. The bailiff responsible for the eviction then asked the police for help. It is not yet clear how many police officers were ultimately involved in the operation. "It will also be checked whether one or more officers shot the victim," said senior public prosecutor Ulrich Bremer.
The public prosecutor's office has started a death investigation to clarify the circumstances of the death. An autopsy of the body was also ordered. According to the state of affairs, the threat was directed against the police officers, not against the bailiff.
According to the public prosecutor, the man was known to the police and the court. He was last charged in June at the Cologne District Court. "The indictment was based on the allegation that he had resisted police officers after the accused had announced his suicide and kicked the police officers who rushed to his aid," reported chief public prosecutor Bremer.
Police cars and a hearse could be seen in the street of the apartment, which is located in an eastern part of Cologne with several high-rise buildings. For reasons of neutrality, the investigation into the case was not carried out by the Cologne police, but by the Bonn police.
