Jury convicts Dutch man of manslaughter, not murder, in Belgium cop killing

A Belgian jury has decided Dutch man Yvo T. is guilty of the manslaughter of an agent in Spa, Belgium in 2018, Belgian news agency Belga reports. The 40-year-old Limburger previously confessed that he is responsible for killing the agent, who he shot dead.

On Friday, during the session before the Court of Assize in Tongeren, the public prosecutor increased the charge against T. from manslaughter to murder. Prosecutor and counselors of next of kin believe that the Limburger acted in a deliberate and cold-blooded way.

A charge of murder indicates the act was premeditated and also carries a heavier sentence –– up to life imprisonment. However, the 12-member jury found there was no premeditation.

T. is on trial in Belgium because on Aug. 26, 2018, the evening before the Grand Prix of Francorchamps, he got into an argument in Spa and was evicted from a cafe, where someone saw a weapon with him. The police were called and shortly afterwards stopped a taxi in which Yvo T. attempted to drive away with his brother and a friend.

According to the prosecutor and the lawyers of the relatives, T. was able to think about how he would deal with that police control on several occasions. The Dutch man chose to get out, walk several yards toward Officer Amaury Delrez, put a 1941 Walter P38 against his neck and pull the trigger.

According to the prosecutor, T. then shot four times at Ghislain Schils, the colleague of the dying officer, who returned fire but had to take cover behind a tree. The prosecutor and the lawyers of the next of kin also regard these shots at Schils as attempted murder and not attempted manslaughter. The jury decided that this was attempted manslaughter.

Monday it will be decided what punishment Yvo T. will receive.