The autopsy carried out on the body of the man that was shot down by police on Sunday proved that although the suspect was stabbed several times, it was the shot fired by the police that caused his death. The Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting an investigation to determine whether the use of the firearm by the police was appropriate to the circumstances and whether the police used force in a gradual manner. According to the various statements, including that of the mother of the suspect, it would seem that this the case, indicated the Brussels public prosecutor on Tuesday.
The public prosecutor's office still needs to conduct several investigations in order to fully clarify the situation. Early evidence of the investigation suggests that the police inspectors involved acted in self-defence.
The rescue services were called on Sunday around 16:00 about a man suffering from psychiatric disorders who threatened his mother with a knife in their apartment on Rue René Reniers in Jette. Upon arrival at the scene, the police found the suspect's mother injured after being stabbed. She was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The police inspectors ordered the suspect to drop his knife. The man did not comply and the inspectors used a spray to apprehend him. The suspect then wounded a police dog, that was trying to neutralize him, with a knife and then proceeded towards an agent with his weapon. The police then fired a shot at the suspect and hit him in the torso.
The Brussels Times
