At the end of October, an incident occurred in Erding where police opened fire on Bundeswehr soldiers. The soldiers had previously fired blank rounds, and police officers responded with live ammunition.
One soldier was wounded in the face. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) commented on the incident in the state parliament’s interior committee.
A Fatal Mistake During Bundeswehr Exercise
The incident occurred as part of the “Marshal Power” Bundeswehr exercise, which involved training for combat operations behind a fictional frontline in a defense scenario. The exercise had been widely announced in advance, including the participation of soldiers alongside civilian personnel.
On the evening of October 22, a local resident alerted emergency services after spotting an armed individual. Police officers who responded fired warning shots and demanded that the men in camouflage lay down their weapons. The soldiers initially complied with this demand.
“According to the current status of the investigation, one of the individuals then opened fire using maneuver ammunition, so-called blank rounds,” Herrmann reported. “This was followed by return fire from the police officers, with the known consequences.”
Police Were Not Informed About the Exercise
The Bundeswehr had not informed the police that armed soldiers might already be in the area. Police officers were operating under the assumption that the exercise would begin the following day. The multi-day exercise in Bavaria was briefly suspended following the incident.
From the perspective of the injured soldier’s lawyers, it’s questionable whether the soldiers couldn’t be identified as such. In their statement, they wrote that there are indications that the soldiers were “recognizable as such at the time of the police shooting, and some were already surrendering or on the ground when the shooting continued.”
The lawyers have filed a criminal complaint against three of the involved police officers. The Landshut public prosecutor’s office is conducting an investigation, including on suspicion of attempted murder. Attorney Alexander Stevens, representing the wounded soldier, reported a serious facial injury. He stated that his client sustained anything but a minor injury and will remain permanently disfigured.
Prosecutor’s Office and State Criminal Police Continue Investigation
Herrmann told the interior committee that police know from experience “that criminals committing violent offenses also use camouflage and long-barreled weapons.” Therefore, the officers initially assumed a real threat.
The public prosecutor’s office and the State Criminal Police Office continue to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident. “We must draw the right conclusions from this incident. Cooperation between the Bundeswehr and police, as well as other Bavarian authorities, must become even closer,” Herrmann emphasized.
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