At the beginning of the trial at the Kaiserslautern district court for the fatal shooting of two police officers in the Kusel district, the main defendant remained silent. Instead, he had his attorney read a statement. Today, on the third day of the trial, Andreas S. himself commented on the night of the crime at the end of January. The magazine “Stern” meanwhile reports that the main defendant is said to have announced the shots.
Andreas S. describes the events on the district road near Ulmet in the Kusel district on the night of the crime at the end of January in great detail. He was asked by the police officer to show his papers when shots suddenly rang out. Andreas S. then claims to have fired several shots himself in the rush. He shouted several times: “Stop shooting!” It was only later that he (Andreas S.) noticed that he had hit one of the two police officers. Andreas S. testified before the Kaiserslautern district court on Tuesday that Florian V., who was also accused, was in the nearby meadow with a shotgun.
Prime suspect sobs during testimony
He (Andreas S.) did not exactly notice how the police officer was shot, says Andreas S. He just turned the van and stopped it so that his alleged accomplice Florian V. could get in. Then he heard a loud shot. He then got out and saw the co-defendant standing in front of the police vehicle with a shotgun in his hand. When he realized that there was a policewoman lying by the car, he (Andreas S.) crossed himself.
The lawyers for Florian V., the second accused, state that he also wants to testify himself. However, all witnesses and experts should be heard first. After that, according to the lawyer of the co-defendant, the situation should be so clear that no questions are left unanswered.
Third day of the trial: shots in focus
Before the testimony of the main defendant, the court’s main concern was to understand the shots fired at the crime scene that night. Several residents from Erdesbach and Ulmet said they were woken up by the shots at the time of the crime. The judge introduced them as “bang witnesses”.
Shots difficult to assign due to proximity to military training area
The court kept asking, after all, there was a military training area from the Bundeswehr in the immediate vicinity of the crime scene. “Shots are also nothing unusual, but the shots fired by the Bundeswehr operation were rapid fire, rather larger calibres,” said a witness who lives several hundred meters away from the scene of the crime. That winter night there were other shots.
A hard loud shot at the end
First he heard a hard, loud shot. After a short pause, then several loud shots, always a few seconds in between. And then – less than ten minutes later – a final, loud shot. “That got me thinking,” says the witness. When asked by the judge, he explains that he himself is a hunter and knows how to shoot: “It reminded me of a catch.” Hunters use a catch shot to quickly and effectively kill an animal that has already been shot.
Another 47-year-old witness said he slept with the window open and was also woken by the gunshots. “It was like a battery of fireworks,” he describes the night of the crime and bangs his fist on the table: “Bum-Bum”. He then claims to have looked out the window and heard the words “stop”.
At the end of January, two police officers were killed near Kusel. On the second day of the trial before the district court in Kaiserslautern, the hearing of evidence began with the hearing of several witnesses.
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Shots are heard again in the courtroom
Forensic scientists had evaluated the recordings from video cameras on houses near the crime scene. A total of 23 shots were heard on these. These recordings were played back in court over large loudspeakers. An exchange of gunfire could clearly be heard, different sequences of shots.
“Stern” magazine reports exclusively from investigation files
Meanwhile, the magazine “Stern” reports that Andreas S. is said to have announced the shots. The “star” therefore refers to investigation files that the magazine was able to see exclusively. According to this, Andreas S. is said to have announced several times in the past that he would shoot if he was caught poaching. A long-time hunter friend of the main suspect said he always had a shotgun with him. So he could shoot his way free if he was caught poaching. Other acquaintances of Andreas S. reported similar statements to the police.
The process in Kaiserslautern has been running since last week
The main defendant has been before the Kaiserslautern district court since last week. He is accused of having shot dead two police officers on a district road near Ulmet in the Kusel district at the end of January to cover up poaching.