What happened?
An intervention unit of the federal police wanted to carry out a search of a house on Rue de l’Etang in Lodelinsart on Monday morning around 7 am. When the police officers made themselves known, they were almost immediately fired upon. The suspect allegedly opened fire from his bed and through a closed door, with a firearm that was within reach. The man fired his gun completely at the officers.
The police then withdrew to treat their wounded. The shooter holed up in his home at the same time. The officers called for reinforcements, who entered the house and overpowered the suspect. The Charleroi public prosecutor’s office will conduct an investigation into murder and attempted murder.
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What do we already know about the perpetrator?
The search of the shooter’s home was part of an investigation into arms trafficking, drug trafficking, and illegal vehicle trafficking – for which the police simultaneously carried out a number of other searches on Monday morning. The man was seriously injured in the shooting and was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries. His death was confirmed there.
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What do we know about the victims?
One officer was killed in the shooting, a 36-year-old man. A second officer (33) was seriously injured and he was also taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. These are two members of the POSA (Protection, Support, Observation and Arrest) units and of the DSU (Special Units Directorate) from Liège. A third officer (34) suffered minor injuries, but their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
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What is the response to the shooting?
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo expressed his condolences on Twitter for the family of the officer who died in the shooting. “My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the police officer who died in Lodelinsart. And among those who are between life and death,” it sounds. “The work of our law enforcement, serving the public, deserves respect. Targeting them is despicable and will never go unpunished.”
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Paul Magnette, PS chairman and mayor of Charleroi, also spoke on Twitter about “fear and indignation after the murderous events in Lodelinsart. I extend my sincere condolences to the family of the police officer killed by the madman, and all my support to his deeply affected colleagues. Our police departments are doing a great job protecting citizens and reducing crime.”
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According to Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), the victims are part of the . “Our thoughts go out to the victims and their loved ones. We have confidence in the investigation now being conducted by the public prosecutor’s office,” she said on Twitter. “Police work is often dangerous work, where police officers can always be confronted with unforeseen situations. Our police officers, who work day and night for the safety of our society, deserve our deepest respect.”
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Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt (Open VLD) says he has “complete confidence” in the public prosecutor’s office, which is investigating the case. “Our condolences go out to the victims, their loved ones and all their colleagues who risk their lives for our safety.”
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Federal prosecutor Van Leeuw: “Sacrifice of officers is too often misunderstood” “With all my heart with the family members and colleagues of the police officer who was murdered in Lodelinsart, as well as with his injured colleagues,” writes federal prosecutor Frédéric Van Leeuw. “Their contribution to protecting our coexistence is too often not recognised.”
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“It is a dark day for the Belgian police, especially for our special units,” Commissioner General Eric Snoeck of the federal police responded at a press conference on Monday afternoon. “Dozens of police officers went to work this morning, leaving their families behind to do their work at the service of the population. Tonight, one of them will not return to his family, another is fighting for his life. Our thoughts go out to their families. We also think of their colleagues, for whom such an operation is traumatizing.”
Opposition party N-VA is now asking for a meeting of the House Committee on Internal Affairs as soon as possible. “My first thoughts go out to the family and the force. I also have many questions,” says N-VA MP Koen Metsu. “How could this happen? We therefore ask that the Internal Affairs Committee meet as soon as possible to resolve this incident together with Minister Verlinden.”