Investigation into fatal shooting of CSD attacker in Berlin closed
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has terminated proceedings against two police officers who shot dead CSD attacker Abdul B. in Berlin-Spandau. Sufficient grounds for suspicion of a criminal offence were not established.
Proceedings against officers following fatal operation in Spandau concluded
The investigation into two Berlin police officers who shot dead the Islamist-motivated CSD attacker Abdul B. has been terminated. According to WELT, citing the Berlin public prosecutor's office and a report from "Legal Tribune Online", the authority found no sufficient grounds for suspicion. The case was closed on 9 August 2026.
On 25 July, Abdul B. drove a vehicle into a crowd of people at the edge of the Christopher Street Day (CSD) celebration in Berlin's Tiergarten. In doing so, he killed one woman and injured at least 31 other people, some seriously. One day after the attack, the 21-year-old was shot dead by police officers in an allotment garden in Berlin-Spandau.
Course of the operation at the garden shed
Three officers approached the garden shed in which Abdul B. was located and repeatedly called out "Polizei". According to the report, blue lights and sirens were also activated. One of the police officers opened the shed door whilst the other two were to secure the area.
Immediately after the door was opened, Abdul B. is said to have rushed towards one of the officers whilst holding a knife with a blade approximately ten centimetres long at hip height. The other two officers assessed the situation, according to their own statements, as life-threatening for their colleague and fired at the attacker's body.
After the first shot, Abdul B. apparently was not incapacitated, whereupon two further shots were fired. All three hits struck the attacker: one through the left upper arm into the chest, the other two below the left shoulder blade. Additional shots were fired at the door lock and the frame of the shed.
One of the officers involved is a trained emergency medical technician and immediately provided first aid to Abdul B. after the shots. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
Capital crimes divisions took over investigation
The Berlin public prosecutor's office initially opened an investigation with the division for capital crimes and the 8th murder squad of the State Criminal Police Office. After completing the review, the authority terminated proceedings against the two officers who fired the shots due to lack of sufficient grounds for suspicion.
Source: WELT