German police in Göttingen are currently searching for a fugitive who shot and seriously injured an officer during an operation targeting a migrant gang. While the officer’s life is no longer in danger, the perpetrator remains at large despite a search effort that has included the use of a helicopter.
According to law enforcement officials, authorities were dispatched to an incident near the B27 federal highway on Saturday evening due to an apparent dispute between rival extended families. Investigators are currently examining the background of the conflict as well as the origins of the individuals involved.
The unidentified perpetrator is reported to have fired at least one shot, and potentially several, at a sidewalk at approximately 10:15 p.m., striking an officer before fleeing the scene, according to German news outlet NDR.
A police spokeswoman emphasized the urgency of the investigation, stating, “We want to get the shooter. That is now our focus.”
Nearby, thousands of residents were simultaneously celebrating the “Night of Culture“ in Göttingen’s city center, though police clarified that the public was never in danger. To reassure the community, officials plan to temporarily increase their presence in public spaces.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders, though representatives from the SPD and CDU have faced scrutiny for remaining silent on the specific aspect of clan crime.
Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens, representing the SPD, stated: “This escalation of violence is appalling and absolutely unacceptable. Anyone who attacks a police officer in such a brutal way despises the rule of law and thereby attacks us all.”
However, she did not mention the crime was related to migrant clans.
Wiard Siebels, the parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group, also stated: “We will never accept such acts.”
Carina Hermann, the Parliamentary Managing Director of the Lower Saxony State Parliament from the CDU, expressed a similar sentiment. She stated: “The targeted use of a firearm against a police officer is a particularly serious attack on our rule of law,” but also made no mention of clan networks.
Alexander Saade, police policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, did however address the clan aspect, stating: “The rule of law must be enforceable everywhere – on our streets, in our cities and against all forms of organized crime and also against criminal clans.”
Meanwhile, Stephan Bothe, the AfD parliamentary group’s spokesperson on domestic policy, called for better protection for the police, fire brigade and rescue service.
“Those who are primarily committed to our well-being and safety must be able to trust at all times that we will protect them from violence and hostility in the best possible way,” he said.
The Green Party’s domestic policy spokesman, Michael Lühmann, stated that nobody should jump to conclusions about the shooting.
“Anyone who already believes they know what conclusions need to be drawn on the ground should first take a step back and let the police and public prosecutor’s office do their job,” said Lühmann.
