Police on large-scale operation

Drunken rioter jumped off a balcony at home

Several patrol cars were ordered to the scene in the community of 1650 inhabitants.(Bild: Christian Schulter, Krone KREATIV)

A man (26) caused a stir in southern Burgenland on Tuesday evening. While soccer fans were cheering on our national team against Turkey, the drunk attracted the attention of the neighbors. In a drunken rage, he jumped from the second floor and then hid from the police in his apartment.

Dramatic scenes unfolded at around 9 p.m. in Riedlingsdorf in the Oberwart district. Too much alcohol in his blood caused a resident to lose his nerve. When he was visited by women, the young man flew into a rage, went onto the balcony and jumped from the second floor onto the street.

Threatened to kill him
The horrified sister called the police. When several police cars arrived at the address, her brother went completely berserk. According to eyewitnesses, he verbally abused the officers and threw broken glass out of the window at them: "Sneak away or I'll kill you!"

Targeted use of pepper spray
All attempts to calm the rioter down in a conversation at the blocked entrance failed. The 26-year-old became even more aggressive. The alerted fire department finally opened the locked door. Enraged, the violent man attacked the police officers in his apartment with his fists raised. Pepper spray was used against him.

Perpetrator spat at officers
The aggressive attacker was overpowered. The officers led him away in handcuffs and the perpetrator spat on a police officer. Paramedics from the emergency services provided first aid. Dozens of residents watched the large-scale operation with rapt attention, some filming the wild scenes on their cell phones.

Almost 1.5 per mille, fractured vertebrae
As accident doctors at the Oberwart Specialist Hospital later discovered, the man, who was known to the police, had fractured his second lumbar vertebra when he jumped from the balcony. The patient, who had almost 1.5 per mille, was transferred to Graz.