Officer, suspect still hospitalized after Dordrecht shooting; Hospital releases second cop hurt

One of the two police officers seriously injured in a shooting on Wednesday evening was released from hospital on Thursday. The other officer and a 24-year-old suspect without a permanent address or known residence are still being treated in hospital, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) of Rotterdam reports. It is not yet clear why the exchange of gunfire between one or several suspects and police took place.

The situation of the other two injured is stable, according to the OM, which previously said that the condition of all three men was poor. “All three injured are out of danger”, an OM spokesperson said. “It initially looked bad, they are now in hospital and their condition is stable”, the OM had said earlier on Thursday morning. The investigation was still being carried out at the scene later in the day. Three suspects have been arrested.

Police arrived at the Christiaan de Wetstraat around 9 p.m. on Wednesday after reports of people yelling, kicking cars and throwing objects at doors. De la Reystraat, Toulonselaan and Christiaan de Wetstraat and other streets in the area were cordoned off.

Shots were fired while police were investigating the disturbance, with police also believed to have discharged a weapon. The two officers and the 24-year-old were injured in the gun battle. Between 11 and 20 gunshots were fired based on eyewitness reports. The exact reason for the shooting is under investigation by the national department which examines situations when a police officer fires their gun.

In addition to the arrested 24-year-old man, the other suspects are a 38-year-old man from Dordrecht and a 34-year-old man without a permanent home or residence. The identities of the officers were not disclosed. The resident from Dordrecht who was arrested shortly after the shooting had been exhibiting disturbed behavior for a long time, according to RTV Rijnmond. It is unclear whether he also fired gunshots, according to the broadcaster.

"The investigation team is working on the basis of witness statements and trace research to get a picture of what exactly happened," said the OM, which also called on witnesses to report to police anything they saw or heard.

Wouter Kolff, the Mayor of Dordrecht, paid a visit to the police enforcement team on Thursday morning. “The impact on them and their colleagues is great. Much respect and appreciation for our emergency personnel on the front line," Kolff said afterwards. He previously called the exchange of gunfire "terrible and unreal for their families and loved ones" in a message on Twitter.

Vanmorgen bezocht ik ons team van @HandhavingDordt. Tijdens het heftige schietincident van gisteren waren ook twee van onze handhavers ter plaatse. De impact op hen en op hun collega’s is groot. Veel respect en waardering voor onze hulpverleners in de frontlinie. https://t.co/Wg18iQi06x

— Wouter Kolff (@WouterKolff) August 26, 2021