German police shot an exceptionally high number of people dead last year

berlin - The German police shot dead 22 people in the past year, with most of them reportedly mentally unstable or in distress, according to police reports. The figures are based on data from the Dpa news agency.

The German police shot dead 22 people last year, as reported by Dpa based on police files. Most of the individuals shot were said to be mentally unstable or in distress. Several of those killed were found to be carrying knives. One individual had stolen an excavator on New Year's Eve in Grünsfeld and used it to ram people, buildings, and vehicles.

The news agency mentions that according to historical data from the journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei, the police haven't shot so many people since 1990. The previous years with high numbers of police shootings were 1995 and 1999, with nineteen fatalities each. The journal also recorded 22 deaths in 2024.