In 2024, police officers fired more fatal shots than in previous years.
Source: dpa
It is one of the last cases of its kind in 2024. A year in which more people died from police shootings than in 40 years.
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20 deaths from police shootings so far in 2024
The journal Civil Rights and Police counts a total of 20 fatal cases of firearm use by police officers this year based on press reports. The last time there was a higher number was in 1983 with 21 cases. Official statistics are not yet available for this year.
Police use of firearms
ZDFheute infographic
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On average, police officers in Germany fire around 130 shots at people per year. The majority of cases did not end fatally. Warning shots are also included in the statistics.
Use of firearms against people
ZDFheute infographic
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Requirements for the use of firearms are stipulated by law
When police officers in Germany are allowed to use weapons is regulated in several federal and state laws. In the case of serious crimes, among other things, to prevent escape. The main use case, however, is defense against supposedly life-threatening attacks. There are no exact regulations as to how far away a weapon can be used.
The purpose of using firearms may only be to incapacitate someone from attacking or fleeing. (…)
§ 12 paragraph 2 UZwG
These are often cases in which the people encountered are in an exceptional psychological state. In the case reports there is also a repeated description that the people had previously been housed in a psychiatric facility. From the perspective of the police union (GdP), there is therefore a desire for officers to be informed more quickly about possible mental illnesses during operations.
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GdP sees increased violent crime as the reason
This requires a functioning network of all authorities involved, emphasized GdP federal chairman Jochen Kopelke to ZDF-Heute. However, Kopelke sees the primary reason for the increase in fatal firearms incidents as a general increase in violent crime in Germany.
For the officers, this is one of the worst things that can happen to them. Nobody wants to be in this situation where they have to fire the gun at someone.
Jochen Kopelke, GdP federal chairman
In addition to expanding existing training measures in the area of de-escalation, the union is also calling for the widespread use of Tasers. The electric shock guns are already used in some federal states. However, it is questionable whether this will ultimately lead to fewer deaths in police operations. Even with Tasers, there are repeated cases in which people die after use.
Jan Henrich, law and justice editor
Source: ZDF
