Overview

• A 20-year-old police trainee was briefly detained for a blood test and released as formal criminal charges and internal disciplinary proceedings were opened
• He allegedly hurled racist slurs at a 49-year-old man at the Völkerfreundschaft fountain before punching him and kicking his head as the victim’s 11-year-old son looked on
• A voluntary breath-alcohol test reportedly recorded about 1.9 ‰, raising questions over recruits’ alcohol policies
• Two accompanying trainees, aged 17 and 18, are under scrutiny to determine whether they participated in or failed to intervene in the attack
• The State Criminal Police is examining criminal and service-law sanctions as calls mount for tighter vetting and training standards in Berlin’s police force