Two German policewomen have lost their jobs six years after a serious incident in the city of Gevelsberg. During a shooting in 2020, the officers failed to assist colleagues who came under heavy gunfire from an assailant and instead left the scene. The administrative court in Münster has now ruled to dismiss them from police service. The decision is not yet final.
21 shots fired at police officers
The incident occurred in May 2020 during a traffic stop in Gevelsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia.
The driver who was pulled over drew a weapon and began shooting at two police officers. In a matter of seconds, a total of 21 shots were fired.
One of the officers was struck in the abdomen. More serious injuries were prevented by a bulletproof vest.
The two policewomen, aged 32 and 37, happened to arrive at the scene while on duty.
Instead of helping, they left the scene
When the gunfire began, the policewomen first took cover.
They then stopped a passing vehicle and had the driver take them away from the scene, leaving their police car behind.
According to the court, they did not use their service weapons, did not fire any warning shots, and contacted the operations center only later.
During criminal proceedings, the officers explained their actions by saying they feared for their lives.
Cases like this regularly spark debate about the duties of police officers in situations directly threatening their lives. Aktualizované.sk has also reported on British police under review after the stabbing death of an 18-year-old student.
They were sentenced in 2022
The policewomen faced court proceedings even before their disciplinary case concluded.
The first court instance handed down a sentence of one year of suspended imprisonment for attempted dangerous bodily harm in office through inaction.
On appeal, the sentence was reduced to four months suspended.
This judgment became final.
Court orders strictest disciplinary punishment
The disciplinary proceedings continued alongside the criminal case.
The Münster administrative court concluded that the actions of both officers represented such a grave violation of official duties that they could no longer remain in public service as police officers.
The court therefore ordered their dismissal from service.
This is the strictest disciplinary measure that could be imposed in this case.
In Slovakia, breaches of police duties are mostly handled by the office of internal inspection. For example, Aktualizované.sk reported on a policewoman from Prešov charged with abuse of power and unauthorized data searches on dozens of individuals.
Court: Police must act even in danger
The case raises a fundamental question about the boundaries of a police officer’s duties.
Police officers are obligated to act even in situations that pose increased risk. However, not every action means they are required to expose themselves to certain death without any chance of effective help.
In this instance, the courts assessed the specific actions of the two policewomen, the options available to them during the attack, and their subsequent response.
Decision not yet final
The Münster administrative court’s decision is not necessarily final.
Both women can appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia.
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Only after the conclusion of any appeal will it be clear whether the policewomen will be permanently dismissed from service.
The Gevelsberg case is already regarded as a significant German disciplinary case, as the court linked the failure to assist colleagues in immediate danger with the harshest possible professional penalty.
This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
