Policeman accidentally shoots his younger brother in the neck with service weapon

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Gropiusstadt housing estate in Berlin-Neukölln: He wanted to show his brother the gun

Did the officer want to brag about the gun? A 22-year-old police officer from Berlin accidentally shot his younger brother in the neck with his service pistol. The seriously injured teenager was taken to a hospital on Monday evening, a police spokeswoman said. There is no danger to life.

The policeman was not on duty at the time the shot was fired. According to the police spokeswoman, he wanted to show the brother the weapon in his apartment in the Gropiusstadt district (Neukölln district), but the shot went off – and hit the brother. According to a report in the newspaper »B.Z.«, the brother is 15 years old, but the police have not yet been able to confirm this.

The criminal investigation department in the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) is now investigating the police officer for bodily injury and violation of the weapons law.

Strict rules apply to the handling of service pistols by the police. The weapons may be taken home under certain circumstances, but must be stored there separately from the ammunition in a locked container.

apr/dpa