Accused police officer tells court he fired weapon in self-defence

The young man, now 27 years old, explained that according to him, he did not have the opportunity to leap to the side when the car was coming at him.

When the judge asked him what he was aiming at with his shot, the ex-policeman replied that he wanted to save his life. Tactically, a lot "went wrong" that day, he said, particularly because other civilians were nearby when he used his gun. However, shooting was "simply my reaction" at that moment, the defendant stated.

He admitted that his behaviour at the police station was "childish". On the other hand, he rejected the accusation that he had once pointed his gun at a defendant who was being questioned, stating that he had merely made "a hand movement".

The judge doubted this statement, however, because the colleague who had told the court about this incident tried to defend the accused during her testimony.

The ex-policeman did not recall saying after the event that he would like to get his gun back, because otherwise he would not be able to "shoot" anyone.

Other testimonies

Besides the defendant himself, the court also heard the testimony of the victim's wife for the civil party. The wife of the 51-year-old Dutchman, whom the defendant shot in April 2018, stated that her late husband had been unable to work since a work accident in 2015. He was an alcoholic and also consumed heroin, she said. According to the woman's lawyer, the Dutchman had no intention of driving into the police car. In fact, he was trying to evade the police when the shots were fired, the lawyer argued. The victim "did not have to intention of harming anyone, but to escape because the car was neither registered nor roadworthy and he himself was inebriated," the lawyer explained. According to the defence, the accused "must take responsibility for what happened."

The former boss of the accused at the police station also testified on Tuesday morning. He also described the accused as a "motivated police officer". As with the defendant's former colleagues, the judge asked the superior several times why he never vehemently admonished the accused for his behaviour at the station. The police chief stated that "we are at a police station, not at a drop-in centre." He also said several times that he had not been aware of everything that was going on.
Previous articles:

- Fatal police shooting in 2018: Accused police officer was 'sometimes overzealous', say former colleagues
- Fatal police shooting: Sixth day of trial focused on proportionality of officer's reaction
- Fatal police shooting in 2018: Was the accused in danger when shots were fired?
- Police Dysfunction: “He thought he was in Law & Order”
- Day 1 of trial: Police officer claims self-defense in Bonnevoie shooting trial
- 2018 shooting in Bonnevoie: Police officer to face homicide charges in trial on Tuesday