A police officer was fatally shot in the Brussels municipality of Jette while intercepting a vehicle stolen during a carjacking on Monday night, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office has confirmed.
Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR) expressed his condolences and support: "A police officer lost his life yesterday during an operation in Jette. My thoughts are with his family, his loved ones and his colleagues. We owe them our respect, support and recognition."
According to sources close to the investigation, the police officer is believed to have given chase to a suspect, who then opened fire on the police. Three weapons are reported to have been found in the stolen vehicle after the incident. The newspaper La Capitale reports that a suspect has also been arrested.
The officer belonged to the Anti-Aggression Brigade of the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone, a unit deployed in particular during high-risk operations.
The mayor of the City of Brussels Philippe Close (PS) visited Jette overnight and also offered condolences to the officer’s family, friends and colleagues as investigators began examining the incident.
“Police work is difficult. We know that, but some do not always realise the risks these women and men take every day to protect others,” he said. “They do so with immense responsibility, sometimes at the risk of their own lives.”
“Let us never forget that these public service officers watch over our safety every day,” Close added.
The prosecutor’s office said it had gone to the scene with an investigating judge and would hold a press conference at 14:30 on Tuesday.
