Policeman shot dead in western Germany after petrol station robbery

A police officer was shot dead in western Germany on Thursday during a robbery at a petrol station.

The incident occurred in Völklingen, near the French border.

Two police officers pursued one of the perpetrators on foot after the robbery, a police spokesman in nearby Saarbrücken said.

A scuffle ensued, during which the man was able to snatch a firearm from one of the officers and shoot at the police officers several times.

The perpetrator was also hit during the exchange of fire and was arrested.

A large contingent of police and emergency services was deployed in Völklingen, a city of around 40,000 inhabitants in Saarland, a small state in south-western Germany.

The crime scene was cordoned off, officers equipped with submachine guns patrolled the streets and multiple ambulances were in action.

Saarland Interior Minister Reinhold Jost, who visited the scene, described the incident as one of "the darkest days for Saarland and for the Saarland police." Late in the evening, he said that the policeman killed was a 34-year-old senior officer.

Jost expressed his sympathy to the victim's family, colleagues and friends. "We will provide the best possible support to the relatives and the police family during this difficult time."

Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also expressed shock over the death. "I am appalled and shocked by the brutal act of violence in #Völklingen," the Interior Ministry quoted Dobrindt as saying on X.