Brutal riots in Berlin: police officers attacked, shots fired!

Brutal riots in Berlin: police officers attacked, shots fired!

On Boxing Day there was a violent incident in Berlin-Hellersdorf that kept the police on their toes. Again Daily Mirror According to reports, the police were alerted by a resident shortly before 6 a.m. because a group of teenagers and young adults were rioting in the stairwell of an apartment building and ringing tenants' bells. When emergency services arrived, they were immediately aggressively attacked.

A 19-year-old man approached the police officers with a sharp object, presumably a knife. To protect himself and the other officers, one of the police officers fired a shot, wounding the attacker in the leg. Seven emergency responders were injured during the incident, including three police officers who required hospital treatment. One officer even had to undergo eye surgery and is currently being cared for as an inpatient.

Arrests and investigations

A total of eight suspects were arrested, including two 19-year-old and two 21-year-old men as well as four women aged 18, 20, 22 and 42. These arrests were made on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, threats, physical assault and resistance to law enforcement officers. The man who was shot was also taken to the hospital, but his injuries are not life-threatening. The homicide squad of the State Criminal Police Office has taken over the investigation, both into the shooting and into the grievous bodily harm moz.de.

The dangerous situation was also characterized by the aggressive behavior of the rioters. While the police tried to de-escalate the situation, the group initially fled to an apartment. During the search, the emergency services had to use protective equipment and submachine guns.

Background and social context

The incident highlights the challenges facing police. The issue of police violence has become increasingly important, especially since the George Floyd case in the USA. A study by the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main examines police violence and how it is dealt with. This defines excessive or unreasonable use of physical force by police officers, which can occur in various forms, such as the use of firearms or unlawful arrests. The criminologist Tobias Singelnstein emphasizes that the use of force should only be legally permissible in proportionate situations, as in the Deutschlandfunk study is presented.

Another problem is that in stressful situations or due to staff shortages, police officers are inclined to use excessive force to restore their authority. Young men in particular are often affected by police violence. These circumstances highlight the need for reforms in police education and training to challenge discriminatory behavior and strengthen professional ethics.

In view of these events, an open debate and transparent statistical recording of police violence appear essential in order to maintain and strengthen the population's trust in the security forces.