Police shoot on man in a psychological crisis in Vienna-Brigittenau

Am 16.06.2025 wurde in Wien-Brigittenau ein 28-Jähriger mit einem Messer bedroht. Die Polizei reagierte mit Schüssen.
On June 16, 2025, a 28-year-old was threatened with a knife in Vienna-Brigittenau. The police reacted with shots. (Symbolbild/DNAT)

Police shoot on man in a psychological crisis in Vienna-Brigittenau

On June 16, 2025, a dramatic incident occurred in Vienna-Brigittenau, in which a 28-year-old Serb threatened police officers with a kitchen knife. The situation escalated when the man did not respond to the speech of the officials and the use of Tasern also did not successful. A police officer gave several shots in a moment -threatening moment, which caused the endangered life -threatening injuries. The Vienna professional rescue company immediately made first medical care before the man was transported to a hospital.

The circumstances of his behavior could possibly be related to a psychological crisis. The parents of the 28-year-old had previously chosen the emergency call because they were concerned about their son's psychological well-being and feared that he could hurt himself. Such cases are not uncommon and raise questions about the equipment and training of the police in dealing with mentally ill people.

challenges for the police in dealing with mentally ill

The statistical data show that police officers in Germany have shot mentally ill people in 37 cases since 2019. These figures illustrate the need to better prepare civil servants for such crisis situations. However, experts warn that there is often a lack of money and personnel, which makes it difficult for a comprehensive training, as Tagesschau reports.

One of the best -known cases is that of Oisín, who was shot by the police in Hamburg in May 2019 after he was in a mental state of the state. The police had been alerted after his wife drew attention to her husband's psychological problems and possible dangers. This tragic incident initiated the discussion about dealing with mentally ill people in Germany and led to the demand for binding training standards.

need for improvement in training

As part of a conference that took place on November 8, 2023 at the Lower Saxony Police Academy, the topic of "mentally ill people in contact with the police: focus and perspectives" was dealt with. Around 200 guests took part in this event, at which experts from police practice, psychology, law and medicine shared their experiences and knowledge. Carsten Rose, director of the Lower Saxony Police Academy, emphasized the challenges that police officers are facing such operations.

In the discussion, public criticism of police operations was also discussed. One focus was on the need to better recognize when a person is mentally unstable. Both the theory and practical exercises on these topics are an integral part of the studies at the academy in order to better prepare the officials for such critical situations.

The incidents such as that in Vienna on June 16, 2025 show that there is an urgent need for action to ensure the security of both the police and citizens in similar crisis situations. It remains to be seen which steps are taken to further improve the training of police officers and to avoid tragic incidents.

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OrtWien-Brigittenau, Österreich
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