The case caused a lot of horror – especially among the Essen police: In June last year, a traffic stop escalated completely. Initially, the crew of a patrol car only wanted to check a 39-year-old driver because he apparently wasn’t wearing his seat belt. But the driver fled.
Only after a chase were the police able to catch him in a dead end street in Essen-Borbeck. But there the 39-year-old driver turned around and accelerated. He caught a police officer, dragged him 30 meters and finally ran him over.
Policeman’s life was in danger for a long time
The driver initially escaped but was later caught by the police. But the officer was seriously injured and his life was in danger for some time. To this day he is unable to do police work, but is fighting his way back into the service.
Police officers who saw surveillance video of the incident said it was a miracle that their colleague was still alive. The senior police director in Essen spoke of a “deep mark” that the incident had left on him and his colleagues.
Lots of sympathy after the fact
What followed was a huge wave of solidarity for the police officer. The Essen police sent an emotional tweet on their social media channels in which they wrote of a “cowardly attack” on “our colleague Marcel”. She asked for donations for the family of the injured man – tens of thousands of euros were raised.
So now the trial before the Essen regional court. The 39-year-old is charged with attempted murder. Until now he had remained silent. That’s why his motive is still completely unclear. Six days of hearings are scheduled for the trial.
Our sources:
WDR-ReporterPolice food
We will report on this topic on January 29th, 2024 WDR 2 on the radio and in WDR Television in local time.