Overview
- Police and prosecutors now state the shot was fired when the girl, holding two kitchen knives, was immediately in front of the officers after she emerged from the kitchen.
- An Essen-based murder commission is leading the inquiry, a criminal procedure has been opened, and the officer who fired has been formally designated a suspect.
- Doctors performed emergency surgery and describe the girl's condition as critical but stable.
- Investigators are examining the simultaneous use of a Taser and a service weapon and whether nonverbal communication or other de-escalation options were attempted given that the girl and her mother are deaf.
- The 12-year-old had been reported missing from a Münster residential group and urgently sought because she depends on vital medication, while police union officials emphasize the dangers of knife incidents and stricter rules for firearms use on children under 14.