In 2024, German police officers shot and killed 22 people — the highest number recorded in decades.
This figure is more than double the numbers from previous years: 10 people died from police gunfire in 2023, 11 in 2022, and 8 in 2021. Most incidents involved conflicts where police officers had to deal with unstable individuals or those under significant stress. Some of them were armed with knives.
Notable incidents in 2024 include:
In the southern city of Grünsfeld, a man stole an excavator and used it to ram buildings and vehicles, injuring several police officers. He was shot and killed during the pursuit.
In Munich, a 31-year-old woman attacking police officers with a knife in a supermarket was also fatally shot.
According to the organization “Civil Rights and Police,” the death toll in 2024 could become the highest since Germany’s reunification in 1990. The previous record highs — 19 deaths — were recorded in 1995 and 1999.
