Police officer claims self-defense in overnight shooting

A police officer shot a man in the leg in Noordwijkerhout, Zuid-Holland during the early hours of Thursday morning. According to a spokesperson for the police, the officer acted in self defense - the man was trying to strangle him at the time, ANP reports. "During a struggle, such a life threatening situation arose that the officer was forced to shoot", the spokesperson said. The man refused to pull over when the officer signaled him to stop for a traffic check. He sped off and after a short chase, the police got him to a standstill. When officers approached the car, the man turned violent. The cause for the violence is unclear. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment. He will be questioned later on Thursday.