Two killed, 25 hurt in police shootings last year

Police officers were involved in 21 shooting incidents last year that left two people dead and 25 people injured, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on Thursday.

The Rijksrecherche, the national investigative service that handles investigations at government services like the police, is investigating all these incidents. "When the Rijksrecherche has completed the investigation, the OM will assess whether the use of firearms by the police was lawful," the OM said.

Bureau Beke analyzed fatal incidents in which police officers were involved between 2016 and 2020, on behalf of the National Police and Rijksrecheche, and found that ethically diverse, middle-aged men were overrepresented among the victims. The victims also often displayed disturbed behavior.