crime
Ex-soldier opposes forced eviction: weapons in the house?
The police are on duty with a large contingent. photo
© Silas Stein/dpa
A forced eviction is getting out of hand. The resident, a former soldier, doesn’t want to leave his house and threatens to set it on fire. Negotiations and hours of waiting follow.
It’s a completely normal residential area. But the house looks run down, Drones constantly buzz through the air and over the building. There are fir branches on the roof, the shutters on the windows are drawn.
A 62-year-old ex-soldier barricaded himself in his house in Unterkirnach (Schwarzwald-Baar district) for hours. He is threatened with eviction. The bailiff had previously arrived, but then the situation escalated. The man threatens to set fire and burn the building down. The police go to the scene with a large contingent.
Weapons and explosives as a danger
The police later announced that several long guns and handguns were registered to the man. He also had an explosives permit and was a member of a shooting club. As a soldier, he did not belong to any special forces. There is no evidence that he belongs to the scene of so-called Reich citizens. “Reich citizens” are people who do not recognize the Federal Republic and its democratic structures.
However, it cannot be ruled out that there were weapons and a small amount of explosives in the 62-year-old’s house, reports a police spokesman on site. The residents of the adjacent single-family homes and semi-detached houses are being brought to safety. It is not stated how many people have to leave their homes. The 62-year-old’s house is largely cordoned off.
Officers from the Rottweil police negotiate with the 62-year-old and try to get him to give up. Nothing happens for hours. The population is asked to avoid the street where the whole thing is taking place. Police and SEK forces have since withdrawn. Tense calm.
Police speak of a static situation
According to the information, the operation has been running since morning. How long it will take is initially unclear. The police spokesman explained that the situation was static. “It could last another five hours or it could be over in the next five minutes.” The police have now set up a kind of base camp where the dark helmeted officers in full gear are waiting for a possible deployment. Rescue vehicles and the fire department are also on site.
According to the police spokesman, nothing is yet known about the man’s further background or specific motives. When it comes to forced evictions, the police are often involved right from the start because of the possible risks, as was the case in this case. After learning about the 62-year-old’s possible possession of weapons and because of his threats, they decided to launch a large-scale operation.
Unterkirnach is located in the southern Black Forest, around eight kilometers from the nearest larger town, Villingen-Schwenningen. According to the community, around 2,600 people live there.