On Thursday evening, a police officer fired a warning shot in the centre of Delfzijl.
RTV Noord reports that the police fired a warning shot into the air after attempting to detain a 16-year-old on the Markstraat. No injuries were reported.
The young man was suspected of possessing a stolen bicycle and reportedly resisted calls from the police to stop. The suspect allegedly struggled with the officers, who then used pepper spray against him. After they pepper sprayed him, a group of around 15 to 20 young men became involved, several of whom appeared to interfere with the arrest.
Met video: Politie lost waarschuwingsschot na kermisruzie in Delfzijl https://t.co/YwpPWQoU2G pic.twitter.com/XjwZ9iYjZQ
— RTV Noord (@rtvnoord) May 18, 2018
Police spokesperson Robert-Jan Valkema told RTV Noord that “one officer, concerned about the situation taking a turn for the worse, felt compelled to fire a warning shot. They were able to restore the peace and detain the 16-year-old.”
Valkema says that an incident report will be filed, which is standard procedure in the Netherlands when an agent uses a service weapon. The officer who fired the weapon will have to defend his decision in the report.
Photo source: RTV Noord
