Police in southern Jutland will not seek pre-trial detention of a 24-year-old man who was shot in the leg by officers during a car chase in Haderslev on Sunday.
The man was wounded by police gunfire on the morning of Sunday, August 23, in Haderslev in Southern Jutland. Syd- og Sønderjyllands Politi told Ritzau that he will not be brought before a judge in a custody hearing, Avisen Danmark reports.
According to the force’s statement to Ritzau, the initial investigation did not provide sufficient grounds for a request for pre-trial detention. Shortly before 7 p.m. on Sunday, officers had still not been able to question the man. For that reason, the police district would not say what he is suspected of in the case.
The man is from Funen. Officers from Sydøstjyllands Politi fired the shots during the pursuit, which continued into the district of Syd- og Sønderjyllands Politi. He was taken to hospital afterward and is not in life-threatening condition.
In its press notice, Syd- og Sønderjyllands Politi states that the car was stopped at the intersection of Norgesvej and Moltrup Landevej. Both warning shots and other shots were fired during the pursuit and the arrest. Two larger areas were cordoned off for several hours for investigation.
Police were present in large numbers in central Haderslev from Sunday midday until 6:30 p.m. Several roads were closed, including Moltrup Landevej by the E45 Sønderjyske Motorvej, Skallebækvej and Ribe Landevej. TV 2 also reported the closures on Moltrup Landevej and parts of Ribe Landevej while investigators worked at the scene.
Independent authority investigating
The case is now being examined by Den Uafhængige Politiklagemyndighed, the Independent Police Complaints Authority. As reported by Ekstra Bladet, the police notified the authority at 10:03 a.m. on Sunday that a 24-year-old had been shot in the leg in connection with a pursuit.
Per Ekstra Bladet’s account of the authority’s press release, the investigation will look at whether the rules on use of force were followed. The findings will be sent to Statsadvokaten i Viborg, the state prosecutor, once the work is complete. It is not stated how many shots were fired, or how many hit the man.
The local outlet Sydnyt reported the same sequence of events, including the stop location and the cordons in the city. Reporting on the case has consistently noted that the man is out of danger. Details about the circumstances of the shooting have not been released.
Neither the police nor the complaints authority has said why officers were pursuing the car. Ekstra Bladet notes that this information has not been disclosed. Questions about the man’s alleged offense also remain unanswered, since police have not been able to interview him.
