November 5, 2025, 10:32 amNovember 5, 2025, 10:32 am
After the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Lorenz in Germany, the public prosecutor’s office has filed charges of negligent homicide against a police officer. This was announced by a spokeswoman
Lorenz was shot multiple times in April 2025 and died from his injuries.Image: ZEIT ONLINE/Timo Knorr
“According to the public prosecutor’s office, the accused cannot be accused of intentional homicide because he mistakenly believed that he was in a situation of self-defense,” it said.
The officer is said to have shot the black man from behind during an operation in the pedestrian zone of the northern German city of Oldenburg on the night of Easter Sunday. According to the investigation, the German was hit at least three times – in the upper body, hip and head. He died in a clinic.
Charge of involuntary manslaughter
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the police officer assumed he was being attacked with a knife. In fact, Lorenz sprayed irritant gas against the officer, but he did not use a knife that he had with him. Accordingly, the 21-year-old wanted to escape so as not to be arrested. According to the public prosecutor’s office, there was no situation of self-defense at the time the shot was fired.
The police officer could and should have recognized that the victim simply wanted to escape, according to the public prosecutor. The German is therefore charged with negligent homicide. This means the police officer faces a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine. The Oldenburg Regional Court will decide on the opening of the main proceedings.
The young man’s violent death left many people sad and stunned. After the fatal shooting, demonstrations against police violence broke out across the country. (sda/dpa)