Germany: Suspect in shooting death of 2 cops charged

The 38-year-old suspected shooter responsible for the death of a young policewoman and policeman on a rural road near the town of Kusel in the Palatinate region of Germany was charged Tuesday.

The public prosecutor's office in Kaiserslautern charged the man with the German equivalent of first-degree murder, along with lesser charges. His 33-year-old accomplice was not charged with murder but rather obstruction of justice for helping his acquaintance to flee.

Prosecutors said the investigation had shown that the elder primary suspect was the only one to open fire on the officers.

A psychological evaluation of the two found they were fit to stand trial and not lacking in mental capabilities.

What happened in the fatal shooting death of two police in Kusel in January?

More details of the crime emerged thanks to the prosecutor's office as a trial date was set for late June.

The prosecutor's office said the suspect and his friend had spent the night wildlife poaching prior to the murder of the two police officers.

When the two police stopped the car with the pair allegedly responsible for their deaths on a remote rural road, the 38-year-old man first fired at the 24-year-old policewoman with a shotgun at close range.

The man then allegedly shot the policeman with a shotgun, then a hunting rifle. 

The policeman fired back but missed. He managed to make a distress call declaring, "They're shooting."

Having killed the male officer, investigators allege the primary suspect finally fired a close range, fatal shot to the head of the severely wounded female officer. 

The two men were apprehended the following day in Saarland following a major police search and public appeal for leads.

What do we know about the man who was charged?

The 38-year-old suspect had previously come to the attention of the authorities for wildlife poaching-related offenses. Since April 2020, he had been prohibited from owning or borrowing firearms. He also did not have the requisite hunting permits.

The murder weapon in the double police killing legally belonged to the wife of the 38-year-old man.

He is accused of both poaching and killing two police officers. Prosecutors believe his motive was to protect and cover up his black market poaching operations.

ar/msh (AFP, dpa)