In the commune of Gouvy in Cherapont, tragedy struck on Monday at around 7 p.m. when a man was shot and killed by the police. According to Étienne Donnay, the public prosecutor, the police were called to the campsite due to a 40-year-old man from Liège who was walking around drunk and making suicidal remarks. When they approached the man, he was carrying two knives and seemed threatening. Despite orders from the police, he made a sudden movement towards them, and one officer fired his weapon. An investigation is currently underway, with appointed experts and the two involved police officers set to be heard. The man from Liège, originally not from the campsite, was visiting his mother. The manager of the Cherapont campsite was not present during the incident but expressed shock at the events. He recognized the man by sight but had never had any specific issues with him or his mother, who resides in a caravan but is not domiciled in Cherapont.
A tragedy occurred on Monday around 7 p.m. in Cherapont in the commune of Gouvy. Police opened fire on a man. He died of his injuries.
“The police went to the campsite because a 40-year-old man from Liège was walking around drunk and making suicidal remarks”, specifies Étienne Donnay, public prosecutor. When the police approached him, he was carrying two knives and appeared threatening. He did not respond to the orders and made a sudden movement towards the police. One of them opened fire.”
A judicial inquiry has been opened. Experts have been appointed. The two police officers, in intervention, will be heard. The forties, originally from Liège, was not domiciled at the campsite. He had come to visit his mother.
The manager of the Cherapont campsite is in shock. “I was not there when the facts happened,” he said. I did not attend the intervention of the police. When I returned, the police explained to me what had happened. This is the first time something like this has happened on my property. I knew this Liégeois by sight. I never had any particular problem with him. His mother lives in a caravan but she is not domiciled in Cherapont.”
This tragic incident serves as a reminder of how quickly situations can escalate and how important it is for law enforcement to approach every situation with caution. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who lost his life, as well as the police officers involved in the incident. As the judicial inquiry continues, we hope that the cause of this tragedy can be thoroughly investigated and that steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
