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GERMAN POLICE HAVE arrested two suspects in a major manhunt triggered by the fatal shooting of two police officers during a routine traffic stop.
A 38-year-old suspect was taken into custody in the western state of Saarland shortly after police issued a wanted notice and shared his photo with the media.
He was arrested by special forces in the town of Sulzbach, Saarland police said in a statement.
A 32-year-old man was separately detained “without resisting arrest” during police searches of several premises, they added.
The shooting happened at around 4.20am on a rural road in the Kusel district of neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state.
A 24-year-old female police officer and her 29-year-old male colleague were killed.
The officers were able to report that they had pulled over a car and that shots were being fired before radio contact broke off.
The shooting, for which the motive remains unclear, sent shockwaves through Germany.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser likened the crime to an “execution” and said it showed “that police officers risk their lives every day for our security”.
The crime triggered a major search operation, with police initially saying they neither had a description of the vehicle in question nor knew in which direction it had sped off.
In an update with the Kaiserslautern prosecution’s office this afternoon, police announced they had identified a 38-year-old man as a suspect.
The suspect was said to hail from Saarland, which borders Luxembourg and France.
German police closed off roads and deployed helicopters and sniffer dogs in the manhunt.
They also urged residents in the Kusel area to avoid picking up hitchhikers.
Saarland police said the twin arrests were the result of “intensive, undercover search methods” carried out jointly with Rhineland-Palatinate police.
Still in training
The early morning shooting occurred on a country road surrounded by forest and fields.
The two officers were both in uniform but were patrolling in an unmarked car.
After radio contact was lost, backup police arrived at the scene and found one officer dead and the other fatally injured.
The young female officer was still in police training, according to Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Roger Lewentz.
Germany’s Bild newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying the two officers had pulled over a “suspicious vehicle” and radioed in to say they had found dead game in the trunk, before shots were fired.
The female police officer’s gun was found still in its holster, according to Bild, suggesting she had not had time to open fire.
Her colleague managed to draw his weapon before being killed, Bild added.
Germany’s GdP police union expressed “deep shock and sadness” over the shooting.
The last time a police officer was killed on duty in Rhineland-Palatinate state was in 2010, when a special task force officer was shot dead by a ‘Hells Angels’ biker during a raid.
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I have never watched an episode of love island.
I imagine I am a happier person for it.
@john doe: each to their own. That’s life
@john doe: Happier and more intelligent for not watching it.
@john doe: you should watch one. Jaw dropping stuff
@Bennett blaster: Yet, like myself, you probably watch absolute nonsense on YouTube. I can never laugh at what people are interested in on tv as I am no better. So if you watch and enjoy love island, don’t be ashamed. Its not like the rest of us are deep in the works of Joyce or Tolstoy.
I don’t get Love Island or this countries sad obsession with it
@Joecantdance: I hear what your saying….but…faye is out line talking to Teddy like that last night, he didn’t even do anything wrong in casa amor, and the way matt broke things off with kaz was just spectacular, I never liked kaz! I’m glad jake has been found out for being a snake tho!
@Martin Redington: LOL
@Martin Redington: Funniest comment I’ve read in a while
@Martin Redington: OMGOMGOMGONGOMG, she didn’t?
@Martin Redington: Are Jiberty finished? I always thought Jake was playing games just to get the money.
@Martin Redington: Ha ha ha ha Gas
I’ve never seen Love Island, the adverts are enough.
I’m guessing it’s more about materialistic Bimbos bonking each other rather than intellectual discussions on philosophy and Science?….
@David Grey: o believe the correct terms are bimbos and himbos
Just really shows the overall dumbing of society when both are compared to eachother like this.
Instead of kids aspiring to be Olympians and represent their country in a chosen discipline, they want to be a ditso “influencer” and be on a reality tv show ..
Intelligent people would not watch love Island tripe.
Tallafornia was the logical conclusion to the ‘send attractive muppets to a house’ concept, and was far more entertaining and somehow less manipulative.
@Paul Cunningham: are you implying the cast of Tallafornia were attractive?
Enjoying the Olympics when I can… What is this other muck you speak of?
Where’s the option for “ I would rather watch wall-to-wall news articles on the North”?
I think the poll says more about the person asking it than those answering.
I’ve never watched it, but I’m aware Love Island is an obsession for some. That’s fine, I don’t need to trash it just cause I don’t see the appeal. But it’s not THAT popular, which this poll clearly shows. That this even crossed someone’s mind just shows how presumptuous people can be that EVERYONE loves the thing they love.
Saw a bit of Love Island last night. Tuned in just as one of the women were shouting at and verbally abusing one of the men. If it were the other way around he would be accused of being an abusive mysogynist and pulled up on his behaviour. What a terrible roll model.
Olympics definitely
I watched the first three episodes of love island this year and decided that life is way too short to be wasting it watching rubbish like that
@Sally: So what’s the latest in Corrie then?
Comparing the olympics to love island for watchabilty is like comparing the world cup final to a sunday leage game for quality.
The results of this poll, as of 13:57 today, reassure my faith in Humanity (well, most of it)
None of the above.
Imagine admitting to watching Love Island, I would be mortified.
@Mary Conneely: your morto mary
Olympics easily cos I have never nor will I ever watch Love Island.
Love island pure trash.
@paul mccoy: up against the wall with them then hose the fake tan off the wall
Each to thier own but I’d either loaf a wall..
Rubbish programme some negative talk group
Olympics, without a doubt. Far more interesting.
Bus wa.. Ers
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