The district court of Würzburg has sentenced a police student to a suspended sentence of one year and three months for a fatal shot at a colleague. The 21-year-old was found guilty of negligent homicide. In addition, the accused must pay 2,400 euros to the parents of the deceased.
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The testimony matched what the investigation had shown and the defendant had confessed, the presiding judge said. In February 2019, the defendant accidentally had his rifle at the riot police accommodation in Würzburg with a colleague two years older shot in the back of the head. The man died shortly afterwards in a clinic.
The accused and the victim wanted to simulate firearm use
He never believed that there was still a bullet in the barrel of the service weapon, the defendant said in a written statement that his defense lawyer read out. The accused admitted to being negligent in unloading and checking the weapon.
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According to the indictment, the two police trainees wanted to simulate firearm use. The later victim therefore pulled his gun, held it towards the window and called “Deutschuss”. A German shot is carried out in emergency situations when quick pulling and shooting is necessary. According to the accused, the two men had often re-enacted such target practice. The then 19-year-old pulled the trigger of the weapon – there was still a bullet in the barrel of the pistol that hit the 21-year-old in the back of the head.
Sentenced under juvenile justice
Since the accused was 19 at the time of the crime, a conviction under adult criminal law would also have been possible. According to the judge, a youth sentence was imposed, among other things, because the accused was still in training at the time of the crime. However, that was not the only reason: “What could be more youthful than acting like that with a gun?” Said the judge aloud “BR”. The judgment is not final.
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The accused has been on leave since the incident. In the statement, he stated that he wanted to be a police officer and knew that this was no longer possible.
A spokesman said the consequences of the unintentional firing in the Würzburg police department had moved the entire Bavarian riot police emotionally. After the accident, an expert group was set up, which had completely checked the weapon and shooting training. “As a result, no structural problem areas were identified,” said police chief Markus Kern. However, the handling and training of police weapons in training personnel and among police officers has come into focus even more than before.
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