Bloody deed at Kusel
Two police officers killed: police inspector explains details in the interior committee
Flowers lie in front of the Kusel police station. Police inspector Jürgen Schmitt explained details of the case of the two police officers killed in the interior committee of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament.
© Sebastian Gollnow / DPA
After the deadly shots at two police officers near Kusel, the inspector of the Rhineland-Palatinate police has now explained details of the case in the state parliament. For example, he explained why it took twelve minutes for reinforcements to arrive at the scene.
The inspector of the Rhineland-Palatinate police, Jürgen Schmitt, explained details of the operation after the fatal shots at two police officers in the West Palatinate in the interior committee of the state parliament. Among other things, he reported on Tuesday why it took twelve minutes for other patrols to get to the scene of the crime, even though the officers who were later killed were traveling with the crews of two other vehicles.
Schmitt said that if patrols are sent to a crime scene and it is known that there has been shooting, they are instructed to first stop and put on protective gear. These included heavy hard hats and vests and a submachine gun. “This leads to a certain time delay,” explained the inspector.
Killed officers observed one person
The two police officers killed in the early morning of January 31 checked a vehicle at 4:20 a.m. on a district road near Kusel. They called for reinforcements and finally called for help with the words “Come quickly, they’re shooting, they’re shooting”. Two suspects were arrested on the same day, a 38-year-old and a 32-year-old from Saarland. Investigators believe the two committed the crime together to cover up their poaching activities.
According to Inspector Schmitt, other patrols were at the crime scene at 4:32 a.m. the morning after the deadly check. Both victims, a 29-year-old chief inspector and his 24-year-old colleague, were already dead at the time and had severe head injuries. The two officers were uniformed in a civilian police car, according to Schmitt, they observed a person with the crews of two other police cars. According to earlier information from the police, it was about clearing up a series of property crimes.
Minute of silence in the interior committee
The SPD MP Michael Hüttner said in the committee that twelve minutes could be infinitely long in such situations. This shows how important it is to have enough police forces who can back up if necessary. The country is on the right track thanks to the increase in the police force.
Interior Secretary Nicole Steingass (SPD) said that prospective police officers would be “fully prepared” for their service in Rhineland-Palatinate during their three-year training. A danger to life and limb can never be completely ruled out. Before the debate about the deployment, the committee held a minute’s silence in memory of the police officers killed.