Severely Injured in Shootout with Police in Upper Austria
A neighborhood dispute in Rainbach im Mühlkreis (Freistadt district) on Thursday evening required the intervention of the Cobra unit. A 59-year-old apparently fired a small-caliber pistol in the direction of his neighbor and a passing moped rider, as a spokeswoman for the Linz public prosecutor's office reported. When the alerted Cobra unit encountered the suspect at home, there was an exchange of gunfire. The man sustained serious injuries and was flown to a hospital.
Around 7:30 PM, a caller reported to the police that his neighbor had threatened him with a weapon and he also heard banging noises. Therefore, the Cobra task force and the Rapid Intervention Group (SIG) were requested. When the task force arrived at the apartment, they attempted to contact the suspect, but were unsuccessful. Therefore, "to secure the situation and search the premises," an intervention was carried out, according to the Upper Austria State Police Directorate.
59-Year-Old Was Unblemished
In the house, there was an exchange of gunfire with the 59-year-old, during which the man was hit. He sustained serious injuries and was flown to a hospital. The exact sequence of events and who fired first is still under investigation, according to the police. It is certain that the man was unblemished. However, there was a weapons ban against him, and he is reportedly said to have psychological problems. The public prosecutor's office is investigating for dangerous threats, attempted resistance, and attempted intentional serious bodily harm, according to a spokeswoman. The Cobra officer's discharge of a weapon is also being examined in a separate procedure.
Separate Unit Investigates Police Use of Weapons
The use of weapons by the police is being separately investigated within the framework of a criminal investigation procedure under the direction of the respective competent public prosecutor's office by the Investigation and Complaint Office for Allegations of Mistreatment (EBM) of the Ministry of the Interior, which is established in the Federal Office for Corruption Prevention and Combating Corruption, informed the Upper Austria State Police Directorate. It was emphasized that the EBM is completely separate organizationally and in terms of directives from the General Directorate for Public Security.
(APA/Red)
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