Flemish jeweller who shot alleged robber released on bail

Flemish jeweller who shot alleged robber released on bail

A Flemish jeweller who gunned down an alleged robber on Saturday has been released on bail. The two alleged armed robbers entered the jewellery store in Oostakker, East Flanders, on Saturday. When the two men attempted to drive away with the stolen items on a motorcycle, the jeweller opened fire, hitting the man who sat at the back of the motorcycle.

The alleged robber died of his wounds shortly after the shooting incident, while the second robber remains at large. The jeweller, whose identity hasn't been revealed, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Unizo, the Flemish organisation that supports the self-employed, has urged sympathy for the store owner. "The stress, fear and anger that this provokes in store owners makes it very human and understandable that they want to strongly retaliate when there is an opportunity to do so," director-general Danny Van Assche told the Flemish public broadcaster vrt nws.

He also called for more stringent measures to be adopted to prevent robberies like the one in Oostakker on Saturday. "Our entrepreneurs often feel like they are left to fend for themselves and that they get the short end of the stick," he said, adding that robbers should actually spend time in prison whenever judges order prison sentences.

Linda A. Thompson
The Brussels Times


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