Fatal shot at police operation in Stuttgart: Questions remain open!

Fatal shot at police operation in Stuttgart: Questions remain open!

In the early morning hours of July 1, 2025, there was a tragic incident in Stuttgart-Ost, in which an 18-year-old was killed by a shot of a police officer. The police had been called near Ostendplatz around 2 a.m. after violent conflicts had occurred in a nearby bar. In these disputes, the 18-year-old seriously injured a 29-year-old with a sharp object and then fled.

like Tagesschau reported the fleeing man in the courtyard and then gave a shot that hit the young man in his upper body. The 18-year-old died shortly after the shot. "We have the necessary protective mechanisms, and every time a policeman pulls his weapon, the public prosecutor must be checked," said Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann. He pointed out that the Situation in Baden-Württemberg differed significantly from that in the United States.

Investigations and witness reports

The circumstances of the police operation are now examined closely by the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office. It is particularly explosive that a witness filmed the incident. According to this video recording, questions about the police officer's self -defense situation could arise. However, the witness will initially not publish the video and plan to help the investigation, such as the Stuttgarter news report.

In order to clarify the seriousness of the situation, it is important to mention that the shots of police officers in Germany have been documented since 1984. According to a comprehensive statistics , this documentation not only includes injured or killed persons, but also cases of inadmissible firearm use. This data should be available to the public at the latest in the summer of the following year to enable a better understanding of the use of firearms by the police.

The incident has already triggered a broad discussion, not least about the question of how such violent situations can be better defused without being fatal. It remains to be seen how the investigation is and what conclusions are drawn from this tragic incident.