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Austria: Machete-wielding German shot dead by police

January 6, 2024

Police were called to a domestic dispute at a house in the eastern Austrian state of Burgenland, where it is alleged the suspect was threatening his wife with a machete. The man also attacked and injured an officer.

https://p.dw.com/p/4av3V
Police in Burgenland, Austria
Austrian police say they shot dead a 55-year-old German that attacked an officer with a macheteImage: Monatsrevue.At/APA/dpa/picture alliance

Officers on Friday shot dead a German man wielding a machete in the state of Burgenland in eastern Austria, police said.

What do we know?

Police were called to a domestic dispute to a house in the town of Bad Sauerbrunn, where they encountered the 55-year-old man, who was threatening his wife with a machete.

Police say the man ignored orders to put down his weapon and cooperate, and the use of pepper spray also had no effect.

The man then attacked and injured an officer, after which he was shot at by police.

Authorities said that the German citizen lived in Austria.

Firearms debate

The use of firearms is being investigated in parallel by the Vienna State Criminal Police Office and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

sdi/jsi (AFP, dpa)