Destructive trip with excavator: 38-year-old shot in police operation

On New Year's Eve 2024, the police occurred in Grünsfeld and Tauberbischofsheim in the Main-Tauber district, in which a 38-year-old man was shot by the police. The perpetrator drove a stolen excavator and caused considerable damage to property while he met several vehicles and buildings on the destruction trip. According to investigators, the crime was apparently planned.

The incident started in the afternoon of December 31, when the 38-year-old steel a bike excavator from a construction company site in Grünsfeld. At that time, the man was already a former company of the company, in which he was employed between 2021 and 2023. Despite his arrest of three days earlier, in which he confronted himself for drug and ownership offenses and commissioned his wife with his matters, he seemed to be determined at the time of destruction.

destruction and police operation

During his trip, the man caused massive damage by destroying trucks, cars and several construction vehicles. On the way to Tauberbischofsheim there was a confrontation with the police, during which he rammed police vehicles and injured three police officers. A spectacular incident occurred at a car dealership that belonged to the owner of his former construction company when he drove in his direction and attacked both the officials and the vehicles.

The head of operations and police chief Frank Spitzmüller described the situation as challenging and dynamic. Finally, the police had to stop the man by shots. An autopsy showed that the 38-year-old had suffered two fatal gunshot wounds. However, the investigation into the exact motive situation and the use of firearms of the police are still in progress.

When investigating the incident, it turned out that the man was involved in civil disputes with his former employer, including a judicial dispute over the outstanding wage payments, and there was even a private ban on access for him.

The events raise questions about the motivations of the perpetrator that led to the destruction. The emotional and financial difficulties that he was faced with, coupled with professional uncertainty, seem to have played a role in this tragic development. While the investigation continues, a considerable property damage of several thousand euros has already been determined.

For more information, see also the reports of and echo24