Germany: Bochum Police Shoot Hobby Hunter

Last Thursday (18 April), the Bochum police received an emergency call: a caller, reportedly a firearms-knowledgeable Bochum resident and hobby hunter, reported that he had observed a man on the cemetery in the Gerthe district carrying “a presumably loaded firearm.”

The joint press release issued by Essen Police and Bochum Public Prosecutor’s Office describes the subsequent events as follows: “Immediately dispatched officers encountered the described armed individual at the cemetery. The man made a threatening gesture towards the deployed officers. To protect themselves, the officers fired at the 77-year-old. The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. For reasons of neutrality, a homicide commission of the Essen Police has taken over the investigation.” The officers fired multiple shots at the hobby hunter; according to current findings, three shots struck his upper body.

A follow-up report announced the death of the 77-year-old: “On Saturday evening (20 April), the 77-year-old died from his injuries. The competent district court has ordered an autopsy to be carried out this afternoon (21 April).”

It has now emerged that the pensioner is believed to have been illegally hunting rabbits in the cemetery.

«A rumour is being refuted that the man had been hunting rabbits on behalf of the City of Bochum. We do not generally commission hunters to hunt, certainly not in cemeteries.»

Spokesperson for the City of Bochum

A toxicological report is intended to determine whether the man had, for example, been under the influence of drugs or medication.

According to other sources, it is currently being examined whether the man who was shot may after all have been commissioned to hunt rabbits in the cemetery.

However, the hunting permit had not been valid for that period, and the hobby hunter had violated safety regulations, according to the public prosecutor's office.

Cemeteries are "pacified areas" where hunting is generally not permitted at such hours — or only with special authorization outside regular usage times, such as early in the morning or late in the evening. The incident at the cemetery in Gerthe occurred at 6 p.m., according to derwesten.de.

According to Chief Prosecutor Paul Jansen, the hobby hunter's wife was also present during the rabbit hunt.

The two officers involved in the incident have been signed off sick and are receiving support from specialists.