Cop prosecuted for shooting ax wielding man

A police officer who shot a 36-year-old ax-waving man in Scheveningen in 2020 will be prosecuted, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced. The officer said he shot the man to defend a colleague. "But the OM is not convinced that this was necessary and wants the court to consider the case," the OM said.

On Thursday evening, 28 May 2020, police officers responded to a report of a man walking down Neptunusstraat. Reports said he hurt two people, knocked on doors, and acted confused. 

The police responded in large numbers. The man with the ax did not respond to the officers' instructions, the OM said. At one point, the cop in question shot the man, hitting him in the chest. Emergency services rushed the man to the hospital with serious injuries.

The cop said he shot the man because he posed a direct threat to one of his colleagues. He also said that he aimed at the man's stomach.

The Rijksrecherche, the department that handles internal investigations at government services like the police, investigated the shooting as per standard procedure. The investigation included a reconstruction of the shooting.

"The OM sees insufficient indications for the self-defense situation the officer invokes. That is why the OM has decided to summon the officer and bring it to court," the OM said. It is not yet clear when the case will be tried.