Germany: Police wounds woman in stand-off at hospital
Published March 4, 2024last updated March 5, 2024
An hours-long stand-off inside a hospital in Aachen in the western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia came to an end late Monday when police overpowered a 65-year-old woman who had barricaded herself in a room.
"As the woman did not respond when spoken to, the police officers used their firearms to put an end to the dangerous situation," a police statement said.
The woman was seriously wounded and wheeled out of the facility on a stretcher.
Police said no other individuals at the hospital were injured.
Smoke detected at hospital
Police dispatched special forces to the site after the woman, who was from the nearby town of Eschweiler, entered the hospital on Monday afternoon. They believed that the woman had suicidal intentions.
She had a blank-firing gun with her and threatened employees of a physiotherapy practice inside the hospital, according to the police account.
Later, smoke was detected in the area. Bild, a mass-circulation German newspaper, reported that the woman had set off pyrotechnics inside the hospital. The police, the fire department, and hospital representatives all declined to comment on the report.
The site and the surrounding area were evacuated.
Almost 400 patients and staff were inside the facility during the stand-off.
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jsi/dj (dpa)