A search carried out on rue de l’Etang in Lodelinsart (Charleroi) turned into a tragedy on Monday morning, following the resident took refuge in his home and opened fire on the police. This judicial police operation, carried out at the request of a Carolo investigating judge, was a reinforced search by special units of the federal police.
The man hit three police officers from the POSA (Protection, Observation, Support and Arrest Platoons) in Liège: a 36-year-old man died on the spot, a second (33 years old) is in critical condition; the third (34 years old) was more lightly injured and “his days are not in danger” confirms the King’s Prosecutor of Charleroi, Vincent Fiasse.
As for the maniac, neutralized by the police, he also died as a result of his injuries, confirms the prosecutor.
The Charleroi investigating judge launched several searches this Monday morning in a case of criminal conspiracy, drug trafficking, vehicle trafficking and arms trafficking. This search of rue de l’Etang was “reinforced” because of the profile of the suspect. “When the special unit teams arrived this morning, they took over the scene around 6:30 a.m.,” explained the King’s prosecutor during the press conference held at noon in the presence of the Ministers of the Interior and of justice and the general commissioner (ai) of the federal police Eric Snoeck. “They immediately identified themselves as police services. They first had initial contact with a lady in this house and almost immediately therefollowing, faced a person who – behind a door – took out his armed hand and fired several times and almost killed his charger on the police officers who intervened. Several police officers were hit and the team initially took steps to evacuate the injured officers. The individual remaining entrenched behind this door. » After calling for reinforcements, the DSU was able to get through the door and found the injured man inside. He died in hospital.
An investigation into murder and attempted murder has been opened. Investigating judge Martine Michel and the prosecution went to the scene.
“Black day for the police”
“It’s a dark day for the Belgian police. A black day also for the federal police, and more particularly for the special units,” declared the boss of the federal police Eric Snoeck. “They got up early, left their families to do their work serving the population. Today, one of us will not return home, another is actively fighting once morest death and another once morest his injuries. » The Ministers of Justice, Paul Van Tigchelt, and of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden, also shared the pain of the victims’ families and their colleagues.
Three police officers arrested as part of a separate investigation
Furthermore, three police officers from the “narcotics” section of the local Charleroi police were arrested, said prosecutor Vincent Fiasse, confirming information from Sudinfo. “They were deprived of their liberty as part of a separate investigation, for alleged acts of criminal conspiracy, violation of professional secrecy, embezzlement by officials and illegal consultation of a database,” specifies the magistrate. He refuses to establish a possible link between this instruction and that which had led to the holding of a series of searches at dawn, including the fatal search of rue de l’Etang. “Everything else is just speculation. »
