A 61-year-old man was shot and critically injured by a police officer on Thursday evening in the Rohrbach district while fleeing. The man, who legally owned a handgun, was stopped after a large-scale search near the Czech border in a field. According to police, he got out of the car and immediately aimed at an officer, prompting a policeman to fire at him.
Earlier in the evening, the 61-year-old had told an acquaintance that he intended to commit suicide. He reportedly handled a firearm in front of the woman and then drove away in his car. The acquaintance alerted police, who launched a search operation. The driver was located, but several attempts to stop him failed. He allegedly even broke through a roadblock.
At around 7:45 p.m., after he was finally stopped in a field and apparently threatened one of the officers, a policeman discharged his service weapon and struck the 61-year-old. The man was critically injured and, after receiving initial emergency care, was flown by rescue helicopter to a hospital in Linz. On Friday morning, police reported that his condition was stable.
The use of the firearm, which resulted in life-threatening injuries, is being investigated as part of criminal proceedings led by the competent public prosecutor’s office, according to the Upper Austria Police Directorate. The case is being reviewed by the Interior Ministry’s Investigation and Complaints Office for Allegations of Ill-Treatment, which is part of the Federal Office for Corruption Prevention and Combating Corruption.
