Police in Germany face criticism of the lack of body camera footage involving a 21-year-old black man who shot deadly in the northwestern city of Oldenburg.
Thomas Feeltes, the attorney representing the victim’s mother, told HAZ newspaper Saturday that he believed that “in this case, the camera should have been turned on.”
Feltes said he believes running cameras could have helped prevent incidents from escalating.
On the night before Easter Sunday, a policeman fired five shots at the 21-year-old – determined as Lorentz under German privacy laws only – in the pedestrian area of Oldenburg.
The autopsy report found Lorentz suffered injuries on the hip, upper body and head. The report said three shots hit him from behind, and the fourth shot was said to have swept his thigh.
Investigators said the German man had previously used pepper spray outside a nightclub and was slightly injured before escaping.
Investigators said he contacted them in a threatening manner when patrol officers tried to arrest him and directed pepper spray to them again.
Rafael Behr of Hamburg Police Academy described the fact that police officers wore body cars but did not replace them with “scandal.”
The 27-year-old military officer who shot the fire has been temporarily suspended. The Oldenburg Attorney’s Office is investigating the officer’s allegedly manslaughter, in which case it is said to be the standard procedure.
On Friday, thousands of people attended rallies and demonstrations in Oldenburg, demanding answers to the shooting of young black people. They called for a comprehensive investigation into the case.
Police estimate the number of participants from 8,000 to 10,000, and have since said the demonstrations were almost entirely peaceful.
