German police kill Black man from behind, spark racism inquiry demands
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While police have not named the victim due to privacy laws, media and advocacy groups have identified the man as Lorenz A.
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People protest the killing of Lorenz in Germany, on April 26, 2025 (Social media)
Civil rights activists in Germany are calling for an independent investigation into possible police racism after a 21-year-old Black man was shot and killed by an officer following an altercation outside a nightclub.
The 27-year-old officer has been suspended while a murder investigation is conducted, according to state prosecutors. Fatal police shootings are uncommon in Germany, and prosecutors stated that the suspension and investigation were "routine".
While police have not named the victim due to privacy laws, media and advocacy groups have identified him as Lorenz A.
Police alleged that the man, a German citizen, sprayed pepper spray at security staff outside the club, injuring four people, and then threatened others with a knife while fleeing. When a patrol car located him, the man allegedly used the pepper spray again and approached the 27-year-old officer in a threatening manner, prompting the officer to open fire.
A coroner's report revealed that at least three bullets struck the man from behind, hitting his head, torso, and hip, while a fourth shot is believed to have grazed his upper thigh. He later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Autopsy reveals 'grave suspicions'
State interior minister Daniela Behrens stated that the autopsy results raised "serious questions and grave suspicions" that must be "addressed and resolved."
Police officials cautioned against rushing to conclusions, citing that racism accusations are "painting the police as trigger-happy hooligans."
Prosecutors have begun reviewing security camera footage and audio recordings from the scene and confirmed there was no evidence to suggest Lorenz A had threatened police with the knife he carried. However, the officers' body cameras were reportedly off.
Rights organizations, which have organized a rally in Oldenburg for Friday, expressed deep concerns about the shooting.
The German branch of Amnesty International stated that the killing “impacts an entire community and all those people in Germany affected by racism," expressing concern that any investigation led by police would be biased and emphasizing the need for independent investigation mechanisms free from police or interior ministry control, citing "structural racism".
'Killed by an institution meant to protect'
The Black People in Germany Initiative (ISD) shared tributes from Lorenz's friends and family, describing him as a passionate basketball player and a “fun-loving person who was full of energy."
"Now he’s dead, killed by an institution meant to protect us," the statement said, echoing calls for an independent investigation and the establishment of a national complaints office for allegations of police racism.
The Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which advocates against extremism and racism in Germany, condemned what it described as not an isolated incident and questioned the police's claim that the officer had reason to fear for his life.
A gathering and march in Oldenburg, organized by the Justice for Lorenz group with over 15,000 social media followers, is expected to attract at least 1,000 people, according to police. Similar vigils have been planned in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Vienna.
Rising scrutiny of racism in German policing
The Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged following the murder of George Floyd in the US in 2020, has also drawn attention to police conduct in Germany. In September 2020, 29 officers in North Rhine-Westphalia were temporarily suspended after their unit was found to have shared extreme right-wing content in a WhatsApp group, including disturbing images of a refugee in a gas chamber and the shooting of a young black person.
A 2024 study revealed that 30% of German police officers had witnessed colleagues make racist remarks in the past year, with a notable increase in anti-Muslim sentiment.
According to data from the trade journal Civil Rights and Police, cited by the news agency dpa, German police have fatally shot an average of 10.5 people per year, with no significant long-term trend. However, in 2023, the number of victims rose to 22, and 11 fatal cases have already been reported in 2024.
That same year, Germany’s federal criminal police office recorded a record-high number of violent incidents targeting firefighters, police, and emergency responders.
