Lorenz A.: Deadly police operation in Oldenburg causes an uproar

Lorenz A.: Deadly police operation in Oldenburg causes an uproar

On Easter Sunday there was a tragic incident in Oldenburg that heated up emotions. 27-year-old Lorenz A. was killed by police shots, and now the Oldenburg public prosecutor's office is in the process of shedding more light on the circumstances. How NDR Reportedly, a police officer is accused of negligent homicide. The accusation is not entirely without merit: he believed he was in a self-defense situation when he shot A.

The evening of the incident began in a discotheque, where A. was denied entry. In the altercation that followed, he sprayed irritant gas on security force employees, which resulted in several minor injuries. Things became frightening when A. threatened with a knife and the situation then escalated. After the alarm was triggered, the police, who arrived promptly, were unable to stop A. unmistakably. The incident took a dramatic turn when the police officer shot him five times. He was hit by at least three bullets, which ultimately ended up in the hospital.

Confusion about the knife

The circumstances surrounding the threat with the knife are unclear. At first the police described A.'s behavior as threatening, later a knife was seized near the crime scene, but this could make the situation much more opaque. Pursued by several people, A. apparently took his cue from the police and sprayed them with irritant gas before running past them. In the course of this, A. was seriously injured.

Reports about preliminary investigations against Lorenz A. also appear in the reporting on the incident, but these have not yet been confirmed. The Delmenhorst police actually wanted to interview witnesses who might have observed the incident. The fact that the body cameras of the police officers deployed were switched off during the operation must also be taken into account, which makes it even more difficult to understand the events.

Political and social reactions

The death of Lorenz A. not only caused consternation, but also fueled accusations of racism on social media. Some of his friends and supporters are loudly demanding “justice for Lorenz.” The police union is concerned about prior convictions, while the Lower Saxony Ministry of Justice fortunately finds no evidence of racially motivated actions.

The discussion about body cameras is also exciting. A new regulation in the Federal Ministry of the Interior ensures that these recordings cannot be used for internal surveillance, which many police officers see as a success. However, the use of body cameras in Germany is still controversial, with policies such as: Constitution blog are often characterized by misunderstandings and do not sufficiently guarantee the protection of fundamental rights for those affected.

It remains to be seen whether the dramatic incident in Oldenburg will lead to changes in police work and the use of body cameras. What is clear is that the confrontation left behind images and situations that simply cannot be forgotten.