Oct 31, 2023 at 2:33 PM Update: 15 minutes ago
The officer who accidentally shot and killed a detainee in Waalwijk last March will not be punished. The court in Utrecht decided this on Tuesday. The judge states that the officer is not to blame.
At the beginning of this month, the Public Prosecution Service demanded a community service of sixty hours against the officer because he allegedly acted “inattentive”. He had his finger on the trigger against all regulations. The officer, who is a member of the arrest team (AT), was accused of manslaughter.
XZ4007, as the officer is called for his safety, was present in court on Tuesday, but stayed in a different room because the judge previously stated that his identity should be shielded. He could follow everything via a video connection. There were several colleagues in the room.
On March 17, 2022, the victim was in the car with his girlfriend in the early evening of March 17, 2022 in a parking lot in Waalwijk. Police planned to arrest them in an ongoing drug investigation. There were indications that the man could be a firearms hazard. Members of the AT had surrounded the car and XZ4007 tried to open the car door on the driver’s side. The shot was fired almost immediately afterwards. The victim was hit in the neck.
The judge emphasized that statements showed that the victim raised his left hand, making “it plausible” that, as the defense has also argued, the officer shot out of fear.
The court speaks of a “very tragic incident”. “Both for the relatives and for the officer: he finds it terrible.” But, the judge continued: “No matter how palpable the grief of the relatives is, we must determine whether this officer is also guilty.”
03 Oct 2023 at 14:59
Public Prosecution Service demands community service against officer who accidentally shot dead a detainee
March 31, 2022 at 1:54 p.m
Shooting at man in Waalwijk was ‘unintentional’, officer suspected of manslaughter
Image: Carlo ter Ellen DPG Media
Read more about:
WaalwijkBinnenland
2023-10-31 13:33:12
#punishment #officer #accidentally #shot #detainee #Waalwijk #Domestic
