Attack with machete

Fatal shots: Tension ahead of autopsy report

"Family dispute" alert: the tragic police operation raises many questions.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

The examinations by forensic experts and experts in the case of the fatal shooting in Bad Sauerbrunn are in the final spurt. A German man with a machete in his hand was killed by projectiles from a police officer's service weapon. The results of the autopsy are now eagerly awaited.

The incident on January 5 is a terrible memory: at around 2.30 p.m., a police patrol is called to a house in Bad Sauerbrunn, a spa town with a population of 2,250. "Family dispute" is the alert. Two officers move forward. They spot a man in a rage in the garden - with a machete in his hand!

The police had to intervene against the machete-wielding man on January 5 of this year.(Bild: Christian Schulter, zVg, Krone KREATIV)

Next to him is his wife (60), who is apparently being threatened by him with the long blade. The police intervened and the woman ran into the house. Then the official action takes a dramatic turn. Not even pepper spray could stop the man (55). After several warning shots, three projectiles hit him fatally.

Autopsy took a long time
The investigation has been in full swing ever since. The autopsy is taking a long time. The results are eagerly awaited shortly. "The report could be available in the next few days. However, there is no exact date," announced the public prosecutor's office in Eisenstadt.

Large quantity of drugs
The question of whether the machete man was under the influence of drugs also remains open for the time being. In any case, cannabis was seized at his home address. "The quantity was so large that it far exceeded the usual level of personal consumption," the authorities stated.

Examination of an indictment
As soon as the report is available, the public prosecutor's office will examine whether charges will be brought against the police officer. The officer's lawyer assumes that the case will soon be dropped: "There is not the slightest fault to be found in the conduct of my client and his colleague."